# Rhombodera basalis - shield mantis breeding thread



## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Cosmicbug sent me some goodies today..2 of them where adult female Rhombodera basalis aka shield mantis..Below is 1/2 adult females..my male has been adult for 2 weeks so give it another week or so il try to mate them..with cosmicbugs 2 adult females and my 1 subadult female il have 3 adult females and 1 adult male..so the male has his work cut out.if i can mate all 3 with out him getting eaten is going to be close to a miracle.

so cosmicbug.your female looks so pretty under the lens..shes eaten 1 large locust and about 5 blue bottles.

I love photographing these bigger species.

adult female number 1


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

adult male


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

il take some body shots tomorow 

adult female number 2


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

adult female


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

adult female


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

: victory:


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

i see! u feed the female while the male mates her so he dont get eaten, good idea and it is true, women can multi-task!!! :lol2:

great pics again m8 and good luck wiv the breeding! :no1:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Scaley said:


> i see! u feed the female while the male mates her so he dont get eaten, good idea and it is true, women can multi-task!!! :lol2:
> 
> great pics again m8 and good luck wiv the breeding! :no1:


multi tasking..lol..made ma laugh.well iv heard this species is aggressive so i didnt want to take any chances as i have 2 other females which i want him to mate with..the guy has his work cut out..LOL


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

Why did this remind me of opera getting laid....


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> multi tasking..lol..made ma laugh.well iv heard this species is aggressive so i didnt want to take any chances as i have 2 other females which i want him to mate with..the guy has his work cut out..LOL



im trying to work out if thats a lucky male or a very unlucky male. 3 females 3x the offspring but 3x the chances of being lunch


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> multi tasking..lol..made ma laugh.well iv heard this species is aggressive so i didnt want to take any chances as i have 2 other females which i want him to mate with..the guy has his work cut out..LOL


yeah gota keep him in the game! :whistling2:
well il b intrested in sum babies wen and if u get them! :mf_dribble:
bit tight at mo! :bash:



Lucifus said:


> Why did this remind me of opera getting laid....


:lol2:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

both females laid an ooth today..at the same time..lol..very weird.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

its offical..my male is a hot blooded stud.hes just mated the 3rd and final female.What a stud


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## Phark (Jul 1, 2008)

Awesome photos. What camera and what lens do you use?


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

oh i went back and focus stacked the last image..this one is 10X better


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Phark said:


> Awesome photos. What camera and what lens do you use?


canon 400d
canon 60mm macro lens
canon mt-24ex twin macro flash


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)




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## gizzard (May 5, 2008)

that mantid deserves a medal and a beer


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

gizzard said:


> that mantid deserves a medal and a beer


 he will have to be content with 5 blue bottle flies :mf_dribble::lol2:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

adult male


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## Willyleigh (May 25, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> canon 400d
> canon 60mm macro lens
> canon mt-24ex twin macro flash


Do you have this saved on your clipboard macrojunkie so you can just press Ctrl v rather than write it out.:lol2:

It sure would save you a lot of time the number of times you write it. :2thumb:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Willyleigh said:


> Do you have this saved on your clipboard macrojunkie so you can just press Ctrl v rather than write it out.:lol2:
> 
> It sure would save you a lot of time the number of times you write it. :2thumb:


 lol..no i have to type it every timeim so use to doing it now i can do it with my eyes closed:lol2:


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Great pics Scott, the female dosent look unfamiliar with the "Congo" female but the male is far more attractive...


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

about 45 days and both ooths have hatched..thres about 200 ish nympths per ooth.


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

congrats m8! they look tiny!!! :2thumb:


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## Ozgi (Jun 1, 2008)

aaaaaaawwwwesome!


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## JoeDan (Dec 28, 2008)

that is wiked ive alwayz wanted a mantis but everywer sold out, any ideas where i can get a couple ????


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

JoeDan said:


> that is wiked ive alwayz wanted a mantis but everywer sold out, any ideas where i can get a couple ????


 join the uk mantis forum..always stuff for sale there..try shep..hes got stuff for sale.these arnt ready for sale till 3rd and 4th instar


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)




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## DannyLeigh (Aug 4, 2008)

How much will these be? Great pics too!


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

DannyLeigh said:


> How much will these be? Great pics too!


 not 100% sure yet so dont quote me on this but probably something like 3£ each or 5 for 10 £. (3rd/4th instar)


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## DannyLeigh (Aug 4, 2008)

Count me in! :2thumb: They look awesome!

By the way, my peacock mantids from you are awesome, not mature yet but they must be L 5/6! :2thumb: How many 'L's are there until they mature?


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

count me in on sum scott!!! :2thumb:


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Are you keeping them in those butterfly cubes from mantisplace,


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

andie said:


> Are you keeping them in those butterfly cubes from mantisplace,


 yer  1ftx1ft..1 ooth per cage.


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

Lol, the claw arm things look lethal


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)




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## NXSmiggy (Oct 29, 2008)

all the way through reading this , in my head , the music was playing ...................


thats the way uh huh uh huh, i like it uh huh uh huh.............

will probably take a few off you scott when there ready pal


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

NXSmiggy said:


> all the way through reading this , in my head , the music was playing ...................
> 
> 
> thats the way uh huh uh huh, i like it uh huh uh huh.............
> ...


 alot have died..i would say half!..but yer il have some for sale soon..


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## exopet (Apr 20, 2007)

I'd probably be interested in buying some from you, PM me with price for 20, cash waiting


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> alot have died..i would say half!..but yer il have some for sale soon..


Are they dieing due to cannibalism scott or just dieing, im only asking because ive also lost probably about a 1/3 of my Congo nymphs and i have not seen one being eaten by another, There is a constant supply of food for them but they are thinning out big time but i think this is fairly common with such big hatches.
A lot will be going out next week, but its always a worrying time when you have orders for them.. good luck with them m8.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)




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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

andie said:


> Are they dieing due to cannibalism scott or just dieing, im only asking because ive also lost probably about a 1/3 of my Congo nymphs and i have not seen one being eaten by another, There is a constant supply of food for them but they are thinning out big time but i think this is fairly common with such big hatches.
> A lot will be going out next week, but its always a worrying time when you have orders for them.. good luck with them m8.


 Hi andie.sorry i must of missed this post..None where due to cannibalism.They just dropped dead..1 day i had 300..2 weeks later i have 100 left and aload of dead mantids in the corner of the cage.a few weeks have gone by..they have all shed to 2nd instar now and your be surprised to hear i have about 40 left.2 ooths hatched..very big hatching rate..maybe 200 per ooth..but now i only have 40 left..LOL.iv separated most of them..the ones left in the cage are the ones im going to sale soon as they shed to 3rd instar (3£ each)


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

24 days from hatching they have all shed to 2nd instar.some have shed to 3rd instar..iv had lots die for no reason..im left with about 40.

1st instar 



















update..2nd instar



















if u look closley on this image u can see the nympths jaw and teeth.pretty cool i thought


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Adult female


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## NXSmiggy (Oct 29, 2008)

ill take a few from you scott when your ready to let them go bud , im paid on the 28th so should be good timing by the sounds of it.

out of curiosity what are you keeping them in?

the grown on one's i mean


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

NXSmiggy said:


> ill take a few from you scott when your ready to let them go bud , im paid on the 28th so should be good timing by the sounds of it.
> 
> out of curiosity what are you keeping them in?
> 
> the grown on one's i mean


 i only have 1 adult female i keep in a 1ftx1ft net cage.you could also keep it in a sweetie jar.nympths are ready to sale when ever u want them..there all 3rd star pretty much now.3£ each or 4 for 10£.


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