a1_collection
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Mantis Babies Hatched!!!Well the ooth that I thought I damaged was not damaged at all. I put the ooth in a deli cup in my rather warm bug room and a week later I see I have around 100 (estimate) baby mantids.
I have separated them into rather even numbers to avoid cannibalism but I still have way too much.
Question is how to feed them? I think ants will do the job for now but they are too much of a hassle. When will they start eating? Where can I get fruit flies?
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balam
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Those are incredibly good looking babies, A1.
If you have too many and you want to dwindle down the amount you may want to let them cannibalize each other. That is your decision.
As far as the fruit flies, pet shops may have them in small colonies for about $10.00 or less.
I have no idea nor had I heard anything on using ants as feeders.
Francisco may be able to help you further with this.
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ftorres
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Hello,
Go to Pet and Jungle they have good colonies of Both sizes Hidei and Melanogaster.
You need the smallest wich are the melanogaster.
good luck.
francisco
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ogershok
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What species are they?
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a1_collection
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| ogershok wrote: | | What species are they? |
i really don't know yet. I am guessing and hoping it is the local species which is Stagmomantis californica.
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balam
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Was this an ootheca you found? Bought? or did one of your females produced in captivity? If it is S. californica the babies are sweet. I have to get me some of them.... like... 50!!!! (really)
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a1_collection
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I found it in my yard. There is another ootheca waiting to hatch still in the yard. I have put screen up around the ooth so when they hatch I'll get them all.
The numbers are just way too much for me to take care of right now. I think i'll have to release the majority back into my yard. Just so many babies.
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a1_collection
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| ftorres wrote: | Hello,
Go to Pet and Jungle they have good colonies of Both sizes Hidei and Melanogaster.
You need the smallest wich are the melanogaster.
good luck.
francisco |
Well they were out of melanogaster so I bought hidei. Hidei seems to be a bit big for them right now but some are catching them and eating. I hope they can handle hidei soon because I won't be able to go back to the store until next Sunday. 
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Celeste
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Aawww! Those are really adorable babies! Congratulations!
(Baby mantids are just so much work!)
-- Celeste
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a1_collection
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| Celeste wrote: | Aawww! Those are really adorable babies! Congratulations!
(Baby mantids are just so much work!)
-- Celeste |
I seriously have to agree on the work.  I spend most of my time checking on them and moving them around.
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ftorres
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Hello ALl,
ALex, I have an idea.
We can give some for free at the next Insect show in MAy.
If you don't mind raising them to third instar.
I can provide you with enough food if you do the feeding and the watering.
If you need cages I can also help.
Let me know or lets hear from others opinions (specially Admin and Mods)
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balam
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That is a really good Idea Francisco!!!
I wanted to get some from him to stock my yard this season. If you give them away at the show you can let the people know that they in-fact (if they are) are native S. californica and they will HELP (ppl like that word) clean their yard as they feed on spiders and other insects that ppl find as nuisance 
Plus... people LOVE freebies. 
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a1_collection
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I was thinking the same. I'll advertise them as they are (beneficial insects that protect your garden).
I am doing fairly OK with raising them right now Fransisco so no need to worry yet. When I need help I'll give a holler.
I am expecting around 200 more from an ooth that has not hatched yet in the yard so there are lots to go around.
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WBurke17
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I agree that it is a good idea...
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ftorres
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Hello All,
OK then, Alex please let me know if you need the fruit flies I can get you a six pack or a twelve pack of mix of both sizes. I can also supply the cups to house them (to rear them and to give them away)
Let me know
francisco
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a1_collection
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Sure thing. Let me get them all organised first. The bug room is a big mess at the moment with cups and dead flies all over the place. Thanks for the offer fransisco.
Just a FYI...I am using urine collection cups to house them at the moment. Don't worry they have not been used so they are sterile.
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a1_collection
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PMed you Fransisco.
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a1_collection
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So when should the delivery arrive? I have not received anything yet so I can't do anything but let the ones that I have not separated kill each other. The population dropped drastically. I am not going to recover the ooth in the yard and hope for a large litter.
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a1_collection
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Second ooth is about to hatch. I am seeing to first babies to come out of it so i think within the next 2 days. yay
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cacoseraph
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how are the babies from the first ooth doing?
i had a bunch of babies sieve out of a mom's cage one time... eventually, after a couple few weeks, i was down to two survivors.... and then i saw something big moving in my window sill.... and i found a third specimen eating the bugs in my windowsill. the irony was that the window mantis was bigger than my other two =P
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a1_collection
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After a bit of research and a comment on the Mantisforums I think that these guys are not the californica but the limbata. Still I might have to wait for them to mature so their physical features are more distinct.
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