Tag Archives: nymph

Growing Giant Grasshopper

Posted on February 1, 2012 by malcolm

As the Wet settles in, the plants are growing like crazy and the herbivores take full advantage. When this young one has moulted another time or two, sex will become as important as food (see this photo, for instance) but … Continue reading →

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Moulting

Posted on January 8, 2012 by malcolm

Insects and spiders can’t grow steadily like we do because their skeletons are on the outside and serve simultaneously as skin, skeleton and armour. It doesn’t grow or stretch once it has hardened so the animal has to grow a … Continue reading →

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Another kind of mantis

Posted on December 28, 2011 by malcolm

A month ago I wrote about finding a group of tiny just-emerged mantis nymphs. (‘Nymphs’ covers all stages of development except adults, from just-hatched to nearly fully developed.) In a footnote to that post I mentioned a larger nymph I … Continue reading →

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Just out: praying mantises

Posted on November 22, 2011 by malcolm

We’re still waiting for rain but the warmth and humidity seem to be encouraging some insects to emerge anyway. I wrote about cicadas a few days ago, and on Sunday I spotted first one, then a dozen, tiny praying mantises … Continue reading →

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