# praying mantis what instar to sell at?



## melanie (Jan 18, 2007)

:banghead: Hi, well the first lot of praying mantis hatched from a small ooth died basically we had 15 hatch but did not seperate them, fed them loads but they all died these were our polyspilota aeruginosa also known as the madagascan marbled mantis however she laid a second ooth not long after and it was huge and hatched out approx 200 babies, we seperated them all straight away and jake has done really well and managed to keep 180 of them alive, they have just all had their first shed which i presume makes them now 1st instar? so what instar are praying mantis recommended to be sold at?, jake (he's 11 years old) is itching to sell some as he wants a few other species but i am thinking it's best to leave them till they are more hardy so advise please from other mantis breeders would be great.

Also on a plus note, we had a small ooth from a texas unicorn mantis phyllovates chlorophaea, and have this very small ooth hatched out 20 babies, all again have been seperated and so we hope all goes well with them espcially as they are such a stunning large species.: victory:


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

I'll take some of the unicorns for sure, most people sell at L2/L3.

Tell Jake they are now L2 as they are L1 when born  so he can start selling them whenever he is ready


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

yeh I see L2/L3 for sale most.


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

How big do they grow? I may take some off you.


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

I'm interested in some phyllovates chlorophaea!


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## melanie (Jan 18, 2007)

these are what the texas unicorn look like, but we only had 20 hatch of these, jake wants to keep 6 so the rest will be for sale but as yet have not had their first shed, re. young gun when they hatch are they classed as L1 and on their first shed L2 or are you joking lol.
the polyspilota aeruginosa are the ones that have shed so are these now L1 or L2??? this is soo confusing lol, the unicorns get to around 2 1/2 inches which was what we were told, jake was given just this last ooth as part of a collection being sold and the parents had long died, we figured we would try and hatch it but didn't expect anything really, he wants to keep a few of the young to try and rear and breed these himself but is willing to sell some to help fund his new interest lol.


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

No I'm not joking, when they are born they are L1, they have a moult then they are L2.

So 3 moults after hatching you have a L4 mantid.

I'll take some of the unicorns for sure 

YHPM aswell.


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## zirliz (Nov 15, 2006)

I'd be interested in some also


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

Save 2 for me melanie?


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## vickyP (Feb 27, 2008)

*hi*

pm'd you


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## melanie (Jan 18, 2007)

hi jake has decided to sell at L3 so the marbled mantis have 1 more shed to go till ready and the unicorns have yet to have their 1st shed, i will put a ad on rfuk classifieds when marbled are ready, the unicorns are limited in number so be warned.


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## Howmany (May 31, 2008)

if i could have some i would but i got no room at the min


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