Francos Spain
Our Blessed and Chosen Leader of the Pacific
Posts: 496
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Post by Francos Spain on Dec 25, 2003 15:41:53 GMT -5
After horrifying/intriguing a few users in the IRC chat not long ago by mentioning that I captured and successfully bred praying mantises, I thought I'd disturb/fascinate them some more by posting a few pictures I've taken of the mother mantis and other mantis related things I've got lying around here. Okay, well actually, I don't care about any of that, and god knows I'm not the kind of person to, say, bore people with vacation photos, but I just needed an excuse to test out the first useful gift I've gotten in years. Ahem: The rather irate mantis after having been taken from its cage (and for those of you curious, no, that's not my banning hand) : This shot was taken just a split second before the camara was tragically mistaken for a field cricket. The mantis in the "praying" position, from which it takes its name: One of the egg sacs she has laid so far: This would be the not inexpensive tub of fruitflies I had to buy after one of those egg sacs unfortunately hatched prematurely. For those of you who are squeamish, yes, the little things you see on the side of the tub are maggots. This single tub will purportedly hatch over 100,000 (flightless) fruit flies, all told: And finally, I give you one of those tiny (about the size of a short pine needle) precocious hatchlings, standing on a sheet of computer paper: Of the fifty or so that hatched before I rushed the egg sac to the outside windowsill where it will stay until spring (these emerged because my room is as warm as a hatchery), most of them died or were cannabilized in the first two days after hatching. The remaining 15 or so will be fed on fruit flies until they are large enough to be fed small crickets, at which point a warmer climate and thus release for the insects should not be far off. And before you ask, no, she did not cannibalize the male after mating. She may have though, had I not stuffed her on a smorgasbord of bugs beforehand. And there you have it. (Just for the record, I'm still more interested in etymology than I am in entomology )
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Unlimited
Senator / Pacific Surveyor of Foreign Threat
Vanguard of the Pacific Revolution
Posts: 694
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Post by Unlimited on Dec 25, 2003 15:48:13 GMT -5
They're.....eh....beautiful
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Post by Tar A on Dec 25, 2003 16:01:34 GMT -5
I was one of the people on chat more horrified than intrigued.
Those are...
eeeeew. I can't believe you actually made a thread about it.
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Francos Spain
Our Blessed and Chosen Leader of the Pacific
Posts: 496
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Post by Francos Spain on Dec 25, 2003 16:45:00 GMT -5
I was one of the people on chat more horrified than intrigued. Those are... eeeeew. I can't believe you actually made a thread about it. Aah, my work here is done.
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Post by Brezhnev on Dec 25, 2003 22:28:02 GMT -5
I had a snake lay eggs for me once, but I wasn't trying to breed them. Only one of the eggs hatched, though. Then the mother got out of the cage and died in the heating duct... We found her when winter started.
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Post by Tar A on Dec 25, 2003 23:44:14 GMT -5
Aah, my work here is done. Well, if I'd known the purpose of the thread was to gross me out, I definitely would've avoided it ... you can blame Unlimited for making me come here!
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Post by BertramStantrous on Dec 26, 2003 0:01:26 GMT -5
Well, at least you've been able to USE your gift. I was rushed out of the house right after we opened presents (we did this a day early) and drove 8 hours to my grandparents' house. I have yet to try out my new webcamera, stereo, or Max Payne 2. I have, however, been able to enjoy the book I received, entitled "Lies (and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right" by Al Franken. By far the funniest political book I've ever read. By the way, Francos, those pictures are totally awesome, but those maggots brought back bad memories. Since this page is apparently already grossing people out, I'll let everyone know that my cat died a few months ago because it rolled in some feces it found, which then gathered flies, and therefore maggots, which found their way into the cat's anus. The cat's backside then turned beet red, which is how we found out something was wrong. The vet told us that the cat's entire colon had been infested with maggots, and we had to have it put to sleep. I would have included pictures of this, but alas, unlike Francos, I did not own a digital camera. Now, who's hungry after that?
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Post by Tar A on Dec 26, 2003 0:46:55 GMT -5
Oh... disgusting... VERY unplesant images there... I can't believe I'm still reading this thread...
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Post by Desetland on Dec 26, 2003 0:54:07 GMT -5
Now, who's hungry after that? Please, no more. Some of us may want to eat sometime later in our life.
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Post by Black Adder on Dec 26, 2003 4:37:25 GMT -5
Intriguing Comrade Franco. That takes an enormous amount of effort and diligence to breed the savagery that is insects. I have a new profound respect for you and a greater understanding of how you've managed to be so efficient. I'd never want to be in a class with you, I have the idea you'd severely f**k up the bell curve making me study harder.
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Post by Bushs Brain on Dec 27, 2003 4:07:13 GMT -5
Cool - I bought a mantis eggsack from a gardening center a couple of years ago, put it out in the garden and waited. It hatched and the thing swarmed with the little monsters - until a wasp came down and started slurping them up. After I batted it away most of the hatchlings had disappeared (either eaten or knocked off into the brush). I spotted several, somewhat grown, over the summer, but finally they vanished.
AND I got a webcam (nope not a true digital camera) but I have to upgrade my OS to get it to work. The giver was so proud to have bought the thing I couldn't say it would cost me a bundle before it would be useful.
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Francos Spain
Our Blessed and Chosen Leader of the Pacific
Posts: 496
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Post by Francos Spain on Dec 28, 2003 10:58:07 GMT -5
Intriguing Comrade Franco. That takes an enormous amount of effort and diligence to breed the savagery that is insects. I have a new profound respect for you and a greater understanding of how you've managed to be so efficient. I'd never want to be in a class with you, I have the idea you'd severely f**k up the bell curve making me study harder. Duly flattered, my friend, but it is this peculiar fascination with this sort of thing which oftentimes causes me to neglect my studies. I would also like to take this opportunity to report that the female mantis has laid her fifth (and likely final) egg sac.
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Post by Abysseria on Dec 30, 2003 11:13:19 GMT -5
Are congratulations therefore in order? I hope it works out for the many Mantis that you bring into the world:). Want to send a few my way so I can rid my neighborhood of insects?
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Post by Azerbaijanistanialand on Jan 1, 2004 9:19:51 GMT -5
Well thats a little, how to be diplomatic?, interesting? Ive never known somone wo bred insects, at least not apart frm fishers breding those nasty white things (not maggots I think, or at least not normal ones, chalmers or something)
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Post by Chrytonia on Jan 1, 2004 15:59:10 GMT -5
I have to add my congratulations and admiration. It must really take the right type of person to raise praying mantis.
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