Mantid Madness!

[hcarlton]

It should be what I named them; Lucy and Desi were a pair in real life and the names were suggestions from my mother, didn't need to match the show perfectly. Matters not in the end since all the survivors turned out male and I no longer have that species however.

 

[hcarlton]

Bunch'a nymphs...got a few dozen right now, as well as a fair number of bark nymphs starting to grow up
P. paradoxa nymphs by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[adnedarn]

Cute little things

 

[hcarlton]

Technically the same generation as the above, but a much earlier hatch: first female of this round
P. paradoxa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
P. paradoxa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Younger ones dorking around and using their siblings as hangposts
Phyllocrania sibling stand by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Phyllocrania sibling stand by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[sangrocks101]

How much space do the ghost manti need? I’m slightly interested in raising some.

 

[hcarlton]

An adult can be fine in something the size of a large deli cup, or preferably 6x6x6" in dimension.

 

[hcarlton]

Phyllocrania paradoxa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Phyllocrania paradoxa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The Lazarus mantids that nearly died in a snowstorm are nearly all still doing well...
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And new flower mantids are maturing
Creobroter sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Creobroter sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Creobroter sp. female by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

Turns out, I have one Lazarus:
Sphodromantis sp. male by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And 6 females in his harem! 1 green:
Sphodromantis sp. female by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And 5 that have turned brown. I can only hope Lazarus will survive to mate with them all, rather than get eaten by the first girl...
Sphodromantis sp. female by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

So, big news on this side hobby: because they are expensive and don't really provide return enough, I'm phasing out raising mantids. This means I have a bunch of bark mantis females, egg cases, and nymphs to move out, and a few ghost nymphs too...
However, I am going to be still documenting wild ones when I see them
Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And other local friends like this guy:
Harvestman by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

As happens every year, the locals found the bug smorgasbord around the plants:
Mantis religiosa by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the annual mating activity of the tarantulas has been on in the southeast corner of the state. I ended up holding my first tarantula ever while down there looking (mostly unsuccessfully) for reptiles:
Aphonopelma hentzi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Aphonopelma hentzi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[bluemax]

'A handsome tarantula.