Moult Mountain Invertebrates - Au

03/01/2025

Check out this sick video from @ don't forget to subscribe for some awesome keeping content right here in Australia 🌏
Scaping a MM enclosure for whip scorpions!
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Terrarium DIY Build for my Charinus pescotti (tailless whip scorpions), a native amblypygid to far north Queensland.Enclosure by Moult Mountainwww.moultmount...

03/12/2024

Newest sticker design to hit the shop!

Laureola sp. Ivory spiky

A spiky pearl of the forest!
Wanted to draw this guy for a while now and finally got around to it, they have the most incredible translucent exo skeleton with this blue that comes through, spiky isopods come in many variations and colours through out the world, im fortunate to have some of the native australian type breeding out, fascinating little pod 🩵

Find translucent backed stickers in the shop, they are huge and the print quality is second to none!

look I finally did it 😂 now I'm going back to my spider cave! 💜

08/10/2024

Well, what can I say, that's was an absolute blast!! Thank you CVRIC EXPO!
Central Victorian Regional Insect Collection

My heart is so full from all the buggy love, what a magical community that grows every day!
Never did I think as a 35 yr old I would get to talk bugs with so many incredible, skilled, diverse, and just truly talented people.
So many of you came to say hello, bought something from myself or other vendors, and showed your full support by venturing out in the pouring rain with big smiles. So many new faces, some I've been fortunate enough to see for two years running 💜

The beautiful comments, gifts, and conversations just flaw me every time, and I can't thank you all enough! The Raffle was a huge success, and making someone smile this much truly was the icing on the cake for the whole expo! Look forward to the next giveaway collab if you would like to partner up, please contact me, I hope to offer these regularly with proceeds going to a nominated conservation charity 🌱

The mealworm display was a highlight for so many, watching strangers, people of all ages, families, teachers, and more surrounding it and discussing the global plastic pollution crisis, was so humbling and meant the absolute world to me. So many of you said you wanted to replicate it in classrooms, discuss it with peers and share this fascinating discovery 🌏♻️
(This is not my original research, just the set up design)

I can't wait for next year! Some major plans and projects in the pipeline for this year too, I can't wait to share this with you all as things develop, but let's just say, I am working as hard as I can to bring us new and exciting possibilities in this wonderful nature loving community 💜

Thank you thank you thank you, please bare with me if you are waiting for an order or for a return message, the website is officially closed until the 10th but I aim to get these out express tomorrow. Unfortunately i seem to have picked up a bug of the non favourable kind during the intense effort of the weekend, slowing me down a little but I hope to be back regular updates in the next day or so!

All the buggy love you wonderful two leggers, you make this all possible and I could not do it without your support 💜

01/10/2024

Key matchstick grasshoppers were thought to be extinct.

Now, the largest translocation of grasshoppers to a new habitat where they can thrive is taking place. Prof Michael Kearney from our Faculty of Science at Melbourne has been instrumental in this project.

🔗 Learn more → unimelb.me/3Xum5JS

30/09/2024

⚠️ Edited to accomodate everyone, hopefully! please read changes:

The epic expo giveaway! (SHARE ME FAR AND WIDE)
Moult Mountain has partnered up for what I hope is the first of many collaborations with a bunch of you wildly talented bug lovers and creators!
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Raffle will be open from Friday at 10am and will be drawn Sunday at 2pm (see conditions of entry below), find the Moult Mountain stall to enter 💜

Central Victorian Regional Insect Collection expo 2024, Woodend Victoria, this weekend!! Get your tickets and have a chance at this mind blowing set up!

Prize includes:
- Full set of Moult Mountain enclosures (all 6!😮)
- Full sticker set (Hand drawn by yours truly)
- Multiple MM Hides to go with your sweet new bug real estate
- bumper pack of hides, decor and ledges!
- hand-made substrate pack and stunning white isopods
- springtail bumper pack, live moss and hand made isopod food!
- MM mega substrate pack
- MM isopod surprise pack
- MM surprise jumping spider buddy
- MM mug/poster/postcards
- Cute magnifying glass

Can't wait to see you all there! 🕷🪱🌱🦋🐞🐛🐌🍄‍🟫🪰🦗🪲🐜🐝🪳💜

Conditions of entry:
- Winner will be drawn 2pm Sunday, in the case of a large amount of entries, please do not block the aisles while waiting for the draw
- No more than 10 entries per person
- Under 18's must be accompanied by an adult (Age restriction required due to live invertebrates included in prize)
- Raffle tickets are $1 (cash only)
- If you must leave and are not present during the draw I will organise postage, all though would prefer Raffle ticket holders to be present if possible (makes it more fun!) But understand that might not be possible for everyone
- Ticket holders only, open to all attending the CVRIC expo including stall holders

23/09/2024

Paralysed and waiting:

We accidentally broke open a mud-dauber wasp nest at Minibeast Wildlife while moving some equipment. The mud cells were packed with paralysed jumping spiders of multiple species. The adult female wasp captures and paralyses the spiders and then packs them into the mud cells. She then lays an egg before closing the cell over with mud. The spiders are paralysed, but not killed so that they do not rot and the wasp larva can consume them over time. We rearranged the contents of one cell for this photograph. The wasp larva is in the centre in the process of consuming a spider.

Minibeast Wildlife aims to educate & inspire about Australia’s amazing invertebrate life.

🌐 www.minibeastwildlife.com.au

17/09/2024

So you're a Green ant minding your own business, and some butt-head whips you up in a silk trap for an evening snack! Meet Miss Butt-head or the Green ant mimicking spider (Propostira quadrangulata). She has fake 'eye-spots' on her abdomen and the rest of her is the colouration of the ants. Her disguise isn't going to fool the ants though, as they rely on sensing chemical scents to detect each other. It most likely provides her with some visual defence from other visual predators (such as birds) while she hangs around the Green ant nests, making her silken traps.

15/09/2024

The mighty Dragon Springtail, found in various regions across Victoria's south east coast and Tasmania, including the Yarra ranges which is where Moult Mountain is based, lucky me! (Still not seen one yet)

(Womersleymeria Bicornis)

These guys are seriously incredible and quite large for a springtail at 1cm+, only small pockets of information seem to exist about them and their behaviours in the wild 💜🌱

Found in tall closed forests within rotting logs in mossy/ferny habitats and are part of the Tasmanian giant springtails group, they have unusually elongated antennae at twice the size of other Australian springtails!
I know of only one extremely experienced person working with these in captivity right now, and I must say I'm glad. Due to climate change and deforestation, incredible terrestrial arthropods such as these are becoming threatened species.

Ethically captive breeding some of these rare and prehistoric wonders could be vitally important for their future existence 🌏🪱

16/08/2024

Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA these past weeks, had a lot of chaos and needed a break from social media to focus on the breeding room, farm work, the rapidly approaching expo and my own care in there somewhere 😂

Swipe for more shots and the coffin robber:
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In better news! The two new enclosures designs 'mountain haus' and 'coffin robber' are on their way, pre orders will go out as soon as I have them in my hands and from the supplier pics, I reckon they are going to be amazing!
The original fly shaped vents, extra thick plexi, rubber feet, slight adjustments to sizing, and shape for optimal and easy use, it all looks so solid ☺️
I'm pretty excited to get these out to you and to supply these new shapes 🪱✌️
Imagine the hide design possibilities squeeeee 💜🪲🐜🌱

18/06/2024

Little Guy V2 Enclosure 💜

5MM plexi, sliding magnetic door, and a sick cicada logo on the front, top and front door with optional switch mesh lid, in stock on the website 🕷
The ufo cactus hide is from my new glow accessories range, it has baby pink magnets holders in my original MM designed stars! 4 strong magnets!
The colours in the day actually look so cute, pastel pink and green, I love this one and think it just looks so sick in my smallest enclosure I just had to share.

That crystal clear plexi really showing off with like a million light reflections in this shot, I want to live in there to be honest 😂
Find them and other hides all fully stocked on the website by this weekend! 👽😈👽

14/06/2024

Wall to wall springtail orders! You love these little guys and I send a huge amount out each week, this week deserved a photo, I've come so far with my little business, so this post is a thank you from my silly mug, buried in springtail tubs 😂✌️

Thank you to my 800+ followers, my incredible customers who support me no end, choosing to order from MM when so many options exist online, with many of you declaring on a daily basis your support for small over big business, which I think is just bloody wonderful! 💜
You make this happen, everyday I get to do what I love, talk invertebrates, make new friends, plan new projects, and design some really cool stuff, all thanks to you!

This weekend has been an absolutely wild time for sales, I've nearly sold out of preorders (thank you so much!! 🥹🥹) and isopods/captive bred inverts, enclosures, and accessories are rushing out the door, and I stand in amazement as your orders come in 💜

What a community!

Much love, Fran

🕷🪲🐛🐜🐝🐞🦂🪱🐌🪰🪳🌱

12/06/2024

Just had to share... this bambu lab glow filament is mindblowing. It appears a matte pastel jade green in the day and at night it charges to the most slime green magic I have ever seen 💜🌱🐛🪲

All available 3D printed enclosure accessory designs will be produced in this filament, including:

💜Church hide (split two-piece design)
💜Crypt fossorial hides
💜Rabbit hide (split two-piece design)
💜House hide
💜Cacti hide (split two piece design)
💜MouseMan hide (split two piece design)

08/06/2024

CVRIC EXPO 2024 🕷🐝🐞🦂🐛🐜🪱🪲🐌🪳
The ultimate invertebrate lovers gathering!
Will you be there?!

The only time of the year we are all in the same place, it's like christmas for me, seeing family I never see...accept all you talk about is bugs, so it's like way better than any holiday I ever had 😂
Come, talk bugs, buy bugs, absorb all the buggy goodness, learn about Australia's rich ecology and be surrounded by a rapidly growing tribe of global legends who care for our smallest 💜🌱✌️

4/5/6 OCT 🪰
Woodend, Vic, Australia 🪳

Highlight of the year...well for me 😂
This year will be even better than last year for Moult Mountain, my first time selling live captive bred invertebrates, and do I have some incredible stock to throw down, oof!

🌱 New enclosures (two new designs will be officially released at the expo, first come, first served and limited numbers)
🌱 Live verts, including limited portia fimbirata and servaea incana, lovingly captive bred and hand reared
🌱More isopod types than you can throw a stick at😂
🌱Enclosure accessories/ hides etc
🌱Mountains of springtails and substrate packs

🌱A few fascinating live displays will be out this year, including some sustainability experiments you can do at home, and some really big bugs for you to get up close too!
Plus heaps more merch, art goodies and threads! (Tees/hoodies/more)

19/05/2024

I finally did it! That was so hard, it's taken me months to perfect my fly culturing recipe for 'flightless fruit flies' (drosophila melanogaster)
Issues with mould, drying out, flies not reproducing, grain mites and other endless tails of failure. But the hard work has paid off, I'm now offering starter cultures, these will be limited stock at first but I hope to have these double size USA made culturing cups with built in filters for easy use, on a permanent basis 🪰

These cups can be washed/filter bleached and reused and actually cost $14 each in Australia (shocking) so buying flies from me will be a great deal ☺️
Find them on my website from tomorrow, first post will be the following Monday 👍 💜