Baby Egyptian Mantids!

Emily · Sep 21, 2003

Well, a while ago, I purchased an egyptian mantis and I noticed that she has molted three times since I purchased her. Well, it turns out that those molt things aren't molt things... they're egg cases! I was totally surprised when I found this out!! Three egg cases!! I am SO happy!

just one problem.. does anyone know how to take care of the babies? :?

Jesse607 · Sep 21, 2003

Chances are the oothecae are infertile. It is not very often people sell fertile female mantids without telling you. It is possible they are fertile if she was wildcaught as an adult. If they are fertile and hatch, care for them as you would the adult, except feed them small prey such as fruit flies, and mist them more frequently(once every other day with this species) I am assuming your egyptian mantid is Miomantis paykullii.

Code Monkey · Sep 21, 2003

Originally posted by jezzy607
I am assuming your egyptian mantid is Miomantis paykullii.

If so, those nymphs are going to be really tiny since when I looked it up I was surprised to find the adults don't exceed ~1.5".

Here is a page with some pics of nymphs:
http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/mantids/miomantis_paykulli.html

metallica · Sep 22, 2003

you are only too right code! when my miomantis hatched, they were to smaal, even for fruitflies! so i let one half eat the other half. they molted and then they did catch fruitflies.

Jesse607 · Sep 22, 2003

I have hatched several Miomantis paykullii oothecae, and found that although the nymphs are extremely small, they were still able to catch and eat D. melanogaster fruitflies.

metallica · Sep 22, 2003

i had to many anyway!

Emily · Sep 24, 2003

Thanks guys! I believe that my female was wild caught. I bought mine from arachnomania and his egyptian mantis made an egg case too and it hatched.

Do the fruit flies have to be wingless? I don't see why they would but if they do then I will try to find a place that sells wingless fruit flies and start my own colony. If I can't find wingless fruit flies, can I use normal fruit flies or pinhead crickets?

Jesse607 · Sep 24, 2003

I used flightless fruitflies. they still have wings, but the wings do not work.

Wade · Sep 27, 2003

The mantids will have no problem with ordinaty fruit flies...the flightless ones are just easier on the keeper!

Wade

Baby Egyptian Mantids!

Emily

Arachnopeon

Jesse607

Arachnodemon

Code Monkey

Arachnoemperor

metallica

Arachnoking

Jesse607

Arachnodemon

metallica

Arachnoking

Emily

Arachnopeon

Jesse607

Arachnodemon

Wade

Arachnoking