Scandalous! The mantis is underage!

3 new mantis nymphs arrived, Sibylla pretiosa (cryptic mantis),

Creobroter pictipennis (indian flower mantis),

and a Deroplatys lobata (dead leaf mantis).  Two more mantids should be shipping out to me tomorrow, another pictipennis and Hymenopus coronatus (orchid mantis).  The first three I picked up from http://mantiskingdom.com/ while the second two are coming from http://www.mantidpets.com/  more on those two breeders later.  The sibylla is being a little shit and refused to face the camera at all.  It's quite active as well meaning I can't just move everything around him.  [Added a picture of him, finally got a half decent one]

Besides the usual pictures I like to take of these guys I want to a series of mantis portraits that emulate Rembrandt.  The species I chose to get this time around reflect the project.  Once they hit L5-L6 they'll become rather showy in appearance.  This I'm hoping will make them feel costumed or done up in their finest like many of Rembrandt's paintings.  Mostly I will be relying on lighting, color/tone, and background.  The trick will be to give it a classic painterly feel without losing detail of photography while avoiding the appearance of the modern backdrop portrait. 

Sibylla pretiosa L3

Creobroter pictipennis L2?

Creobroter pictipennis L2?

Creobroter pictipennis L3?

Creobroter pictipennis L3?

Deroplatys lobata L2

Deroplatys lobata L3

Deroplatys lobata L3