papilio's mantids

papilio

Arachnoprince
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So it would appear that I'm going to get deeper into the mantis thing, so figured I'd start a thread of them rather than just posting the photos randomly around this subforum. :)

I'll eventually transfer those other photos to this thread, but for now here are a couple of videos which were shot yesterday ...



Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, L3
~1cm BL with the abdomen held up
[video=youtube;Em_rLcQpOCw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em_rLcQpOCw[/video]





Creobroter pictipennis mantis, L2
[video=youtube;YY3L0Zn8P4o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY3L0Zn8P4o[/video]
This one I hatched from the ooth.




Thanks for looking! :)
 
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papilio

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The Creos have just molted to third instar.


Creobroter pictipennis, L3
Indian Flower mantis



























Here is one at L1, just out of the ooth.



And now, only four weeks later ...
 
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papilio

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Wow, those grow fast. What did you use to take these pictures? It looks pretty professional.
Thanks a lot Twentytwenty! :)

These were shot with a Sigma 150mm Apo OS macro lens and a Raynox DCR-250, together giving about 3:1. The camera is a Nikon D800E, and gives the nicest videos of any Nikon I've used before.
 
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viper69

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You are going full bore into mantids now? There goes the neighborhood heheh

4 week growth size- wish my Ts grew like that !!
 

papilio

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Did you think you could resist getting more into this mantis thing? ;)
*sigh* I did my level best to resist ... honest!! :eek:

They really have a way of getting under your skin.


You are going full bore into mantids now? There goes the neighborhood heheh

4 week growth size- wish my Ts grew like that !!
LOL Chris! :D

I know ... it's been so long since I've raised insects I totally forgot how they grow while you watch! {D
 

Twentytwenty

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*sigh* I did my level best to resist ... honest!! :eek:

They really have a way of getting under your skin.
They really do, a few weeks with my giant asian and now I have a dead leaf and am getting a spiny flower. They are the coolest animals to ever come into my house, and a lot of animals have been there.
 

papilio

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They really do, a few weeks with my giant asian and now I have a dead leaf and am getting a spiny flower. They are the coolest animals to ever come into my house, and a lot of animals have been there.


I'm thinking that the most enchanting, surprising thing about keeping mantids is that only then can we get a sense of the uncanny personalities they display. No photo can convey that ... and I am for the first time realizing the power of video! :)

Next on my want list is a Giant Prickly Stick Insect ... saw one at the zoo this past weekend, gotta have!! :biggrin:
 

Twentytwenty

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I'm thinking that the most enchanting, surprising thing about keeping mantids is that only then can we get a sense of the uncanny personalities they display. No photo can convey that ... and I am for the first time realizing the power of video! :)

Next on my want list is a Giant Prickly Stick Insect ... saw one at the zoo this past weekend, gotta have!! :biggrin:
They are like dogs, in the sense that they all have their own personalities and each one is unique, I saw some of those stick insects at the Bronx Zoo a few weeks ago, they were pretty cool. If you didn't see already, they're eggs look like little hand-grenades.
 

papilio

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Look how white it's already getting! :biggrin:

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, L4












 

papilio

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That is one badass mantis.
I totally agree!! :biggrin:






Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, L4


These first two are focus stacks of just three hand-held images. Notice that there is no detail between the cross-sections containing the frames, yet it gives the illusion of being a complete stack (if you don't look too closely).


The video shows the three frames used.
[video=youtube;V2-CXNn6RBc]http://youtu.be/V2-CXNn6RBc[/video]






Idolomantis diabolica, L5


















 
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viper69

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Whoa...more Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, esp in flowers/natural scenes. Like really, really great. VERY COOL:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I remember a guy who used to take great photos of tarantulas on this board, I think he moved on to another subject matter something about flaky seadragons or some hooey like that...hmm I hear the group Kansas's song "Dust in the Wind" heheheheh
 

papilio

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I love seeing your pictures and I can't wait till my little I. diabolica looks like that.
Thanks very much Twentytwenty! :)


Whoa...more Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii, esp in flowers/natural scenes. Like really, really great. VERY COOL:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I remember a guy who used to take great photos of tarantulas on this board, I think he moved on to another subject matter...hmm I hear the group Kansas's song "Dust in the Wind" heheheheh
Thanks a lot Chris, it's a fantastic mantis!

LOL Well I've taken tens of thousands of spider photos, to be honest it was getting a bit old trying to keep them fresh. I'm sure I'll be back soon.
But these mantids have me totally captivated!! And they really do make wonderful models for the lens. :)
 

viper69

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Thanks very much Twentytwenty! :)




Thanks a lot Chris, it's a fantastic mantis!

LOL Well I've taken tens of thousands of spider photos, to be honest it was getting a bit old trying to keep them fresh. I'm sure I'll be back soon.
But these mantids have me totally captivated!! And they really do make wonderful models for the lens. :)
I'm sorry, is this the same person? ;) heheh Man, I totally get it. After all, there are only tons of species out there, but hey, who cares about them, and after winning on the The Reptile Report well, it's old hat now hehehehe! Seriously I know what you mean, there's only so much landscape photography of sunsets I can take before I need to find a different subject matter for a while. But I always return to my original favorite.

Are they more likely to stay in one place? I wonder how they compare as subjects for focus stacking compared to Ts. That purple is very cool. These mantids bring out some really nice textures I'll say that. I noticed they have invaded the flickr account.
 

papilio

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I'm sorry, is this the same person? ;) heheh Man, I totally get it. After all, there are only tons of species out there, but hey, who cares about them, and after winning on the The Reptile Report well, it's old hat now hehehehe! Seriously I know what you mean, there's only so much landscape photography of sunsets I can take before I need to find a different subject matter for a while. But I always return to my original favorite.

Are they more likely to stay in one place? I wonder how they compare as subjects for focus stacking compared to Ts. That purple is very cool. These mantids bring out some really nice textures I'll say that. I noticed they have invaded the flickr account.

Hehe Yes, it's me! ;)


Yeah there are lots of species I'd love to have, one thing is that I'm getting tired of shooting those in my limited collection ... but I have to keep it small for now as I need to keep them hidden away from the landlord when he comes in unannounced. :(

If you watched those vids on the top of the page you'll see that mantids would be impossible to stack ... arachnids are relatively easy, they do keep perfectly still when they come to rest.
I did get incredibly lucky with the tiny Creobroter pictipennis mantis though ... it actually did stay motionless long enough to get a few stacks of about 100 images. :D



Creobroter pictipennis, L2



 
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