FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

[23.09.14]

Finally... I finally managed to add this amazing species to my list. LOL

(Just look up 'Idolomantis diabolica' on google images if you haven't seen them before. )

Agreed to a trade with my pre-subadult pair of Phyllocrania paradoxa (Ghost mantis) for 3, 2nd instar nymphs of Idolomantis diabolica a month ago and I finally received them today. With this species being one of the most difficult species to raise and breed, I'll be extremely happy with myself even if I only manage to get one to adult.

Anyway, pics:
IMG_0167 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0172 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0177 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0169 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0178 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Yes..this is only of those cool mantis i seen on internet.

I also like those flower mantis, absolute beautiful creatures....

Congrats

tish wrote:Yes..this is only of those cool mantis i seen on internet.

I also like those flower mantis, absolute beautiful creatures....

Congrats

Cheers tish.

[24.09.14]

Managed to get some better pics and I believe I have 2 females and 1 male. I wouldn't say for definite though until they moult to 3rd instar.

Pics:
IMG_0190 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0207 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0205 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0204 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0268 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Here's a sexing guide for anybody else who wants to know how to sex them (They're still 2nd instars in the photo).

Pics:
Idolo sexing female by darkrai283, on Flickr
Idolo sexing male by darkrai283, on Flickr

[02.10.14]

One of the females has stopped eating and her abdomen is very fat which means that she will be moulting soon.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh4TpjvlotA[/youtube]

[03.10.14]

The one in the video moulted to 3rd instar.

Female moulted to 3th instar
Moulting interval: ??? days (first time she moulted since I got her)

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 3rd instar
Female no.2: 2nd instar
Male: 2nd instar

2nd instar nymph:
IMG_0426 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Pics of the 3rd instar:
IMG_0436 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0437 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Size difference between 2nd and 3rd:
IMG_0462 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0458 by darkrai283, on Flickr

[04.10.14]

The male moulted to 3rd instar.

Male moulted to 3th instar
Moulting interval: ??? days (first time she moulted since I got her)

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 3rd instar
Female no.2: 2nd instar
Male: 3rd instar

[05.10.14]

Female no.2 moulted to 3rd instar.

Female no. 2 moulted to 3th instar
Moulting interval: ??? days (first time she moulted since I got her)

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 3rd instar
Female no.2: 3rd instar
Male: 3rd instar

16.10.14

Female no.1 is in the pre-moult postition.

Pics:
IMG_0783 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0791 by darkrai283, on Flickr

[17.10.14]

Female no.1 in the last reply moulted to 4th instar.

Female moulted to 4th instar
Moulting interval: 14 days

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 4th instar
Female no.2: 3rd instar
Male: 3rd instar

Pics of the 4th instar:
IMG_0838 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0833 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0814 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0805 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Size difference between 4th and 3rd instar nymphs:
IMG_0809 by darkrai283, on Flickr

[19.10.14]

Both Female no.2 and the male nymph moulted to 4th instar in the space of an hour.

Female no. 2 moulted to 4th instar
Moulting interval: 14 days

Male moulted to 4th instar
Moulting interval: 15 days

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 4th instar
Female no.2: 4th instar
Male: 4th instar

Video of Female no.2 moulting:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnnlU1aSMSg[/youtube]

Moulting pics of the male:
IMG_0891 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0897 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0903 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0907 by darkrai283, on Flickr

Moulting pics of the female:
IMG_0914 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0925 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0927 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0931 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_0934 by darkrai283, on Flickr

[26.10.14]

Female no. 2 became a minty-white colour. :crazy:

Pics:
IMG_1033 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_1024 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_1029 by darkrai283, on Flickr
IMG_1027 by darkrai283, on Flickr

[06.11.14]

All three moulted to 5th instar in the last 3 days.

Female no. 1 moulted to 5th instar
Moulting interval: 20 days
Female no. 2 moulted to 5th instar
Moulting interval: 15 days
Male moulted to 5th instar
Moulting interval: 17 days

Current stadium of the three nymphs:
Female no.1: 5th instar
Female no.2: 5th instar
Male: 5th instar

[20.12.14]

Deimatic display! (It was shot through dirty glass so it isn't that great)

IMG_1653 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

[25.12.14]

Just chillin' on Christmas day...

IMG_1678 by Darkrai283, on Flickr

[12.01.15]

Sooo... it's been 70 days since they last moulted, and my attempt at trying to raise this species to adulthood has been a failure. I had to put down the last male in the freezer today.

They just refused to moult for some reason, then got weaker and weaker and just died. I've heard from few people that they've had this happen to the stock I had too so it might just not be my conditions. :/

The first female to pass away just got weaker and weaker and just went limp.

The other female was doing really well but ate too much and ruptured her side when she fell, about 3 weeks ago.

After that, because I only had my male left who was healthy at the time, I ordered a pre-sub female from a European breeder which was sent last Monday.

This morning, the male was just very weak and limp like the 1st female that passed away so I put him down in the freezer. :'(