Missing Nymphs?

[WallsOfGab]

So, in about June I bought some Question Mark (Therea olegrandjeani) nymphs. I ordered 3 and they gave me 6 and I counted them all out and they've got a proper enclosure. Well, I went to change out a bit of substrate (found a better source for substrate) and went to check on them while in the process and so far, I've only counted out 2.... I thought they couldn't climb glass as nymphs? I hope I didn't goof up not getting a cover attached on time. Was certain that nymphs could not climb glass/smooth plastic and that they take aaaaaaages to mature when they're very tiny. It's not even the larger one I have that's missing, it's the really tiny ones I had. They don't cannibalise, do they?

Thanks!

 

[Hisserdude]

Probably just hiding, substrate often sticks to these guys and they can be very hard to find, especially if you gave them a nice amount of substrate. They can't climb smooth surfaces and do take a long time to grow. I do not believe they cannibalize, just make sure you have food in there, (Dead leaves most importantly).

 

[NRoach]

While cannibalism is a possibility, I would imagine it does not happen often with Question Marks. Like hisserdude said, they're probably just hard to see because substrate clings onto them pretty well. Also, they'll often dig away from the area where they sense disturbances. Unless you threw them out while you were switching out their substrate, they climbed out because the enclosure walls got dirty, or they died and decomposed, I'm sure they're still in there.

 

[Doc]

I've found that Therea nymphs often play dead like dubia do. That along with the substrate clinging to them can make them almost invisible.

 

[wodesorel]

I think they're probably just covered in sub and hard to see as well. The last time I sorted out my colony I had to go through the discard pile three times because I kept finding more - and some of them were nearly full grown! Sprinkling it into a new bin should let you feel them since they're a little bristly, and if you wait about 30 seconds any that did fall should start moving or flipping themselves over so you can spot them, just watch for moving dirt. I've never had them climb glass before, although the nymphs managed to chew through plastic that had a tiny vent hole ice-pick punched in it, when they were done it was a 1/2 inch wide and they all had gotten out. (We found them around the house for over six months...)