mantis question

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
hi, i'm interested in getting a mantis and am wondering what are some good beginner types. i love ghost, orchid, and spiny flower mantis. awesome! :)

in anycase, i would love to hear any suggestions. in addition, where do you mantis keepers get some of the moths, butterflies, and flies needed to feed some of these?

i checked out Total Mantis and some of them are more picky eaters than others.

thanks!
 

Wade

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
2,929
Usually, the more cryptic-looking mantids (orchids, ghosts etc.) are going to be less likley to chase after crickets and usually eat flying insects in the wild. In captivty, however, if you design the cage so that the crickets or can climb up to the upper areas where the mantids hang out, it's no problem. Also, cockroaches that climb smooth surfaces (like the lobster roaches) make excellent food for these species. For most small nymphs, fruit flies will work (although some are even too small for them) and are available from many pet stores or feeder insect suppliers.

Most of my experience is with US natives and itroduced species like the Chinese and Carolina mantids. These are good starter mantids that can be collected easily. Right now is a good time to look for ootheca (egg cases) on bushes.

A good book on mantid keeping can be found at www.angelfire.com/oh3/elytraandantenna

Wade
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
Good species to start out with are any of the Parasphendale spp. , Hierodula spp., Sphodromantis spp., and Miomantis paykullii. Phyllocrania paradoxa a pretty easy also. Most mantids are easy to take care of as long as you follow the care sheets, and most importantly give them lots of ventilation and a top that they can easily hang upside down from, and plenty of room to molt.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
is this the book you were recommending:

Praying Mantids Keeping Aliens
Information on keeping and breeding praying mantids as pets. Sections on live foods, oothecae, mating, the mantis garden, US mantids, and exotic mantids.
40pp. Paperback.
Author: A.Lasebny

let me know, and if so, i'll order it. :) thanks for your replies!
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
would a plastic kritter keeper like many of us keep tarantulas in work? they have lots of little slots in the top so are both ventilated but still provide some holding of humidity. i was planning to put a shallow water bowl (just in case, and to add humidity) and then some plastic vines.

the largest of those i have is 12x8x9. how would that do? i understand a 10 gallon would seemingly be better for some of the larger actually. i'm going to look up those recommendations now and get some additional information. thanks. :) what's a good substrate to use? i was considering coconut bark or repti bark to aid in holding humidity.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
just to ask...can you guys also recommend a good place for caresheets and a good place to purchase?

so far i've looked mostly at Total Mantis and Mantis Heaven.

in addition, so you're aware, i currently keep 10 tarantulas, all of which can be found in the link beneath my signature. they're all larger, i just haven't updated that site with recent pics in a while. :)

however, i keep molt records and pics here, just need to put them on that site. i just have them on my personal gallery page at present.

i keep some Avicularia as well and was wondering if their humidity requirements were similar to or higher than mantids. you have to keep them moist but also well ventilated. both of mine thrive.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
oh yes, HOW LONG DO MANTIDS LIVE? lol! i can't seem to find this ANYWHERE...except i read something that suggested hatching in April and then dying in October, so...six months? is that normal for all types? thanks! :)
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
To answer your questions, I need to know which species you want or have. Many species have different sizes, requirements,and lifestyles. also try mantiskingdom.com or email Orin McMonigle at megaloblatta@angelfire.com for purchasing mantids. Like with tarantulas, humidity is way overrated, and should not be worried about so much! I don't have any substrate in my mantid containers, because they poop too much and it stinks if it stays moist. I just mist my mantids every other day or so. A critter keeper is fine, just as long as it is big enough. Some species only live for a maximum of three months after becoming adult, and some species may live for over a year after becoming an adult. I hope that answers most of your questions. Also, that is a good book to get and Orin McMonigle is one of the authors. I have had good experiences buying from Orin(his email I wrote above) and Evan Ngo(from totalmantis.com), so I heavily reccommend buying from them.
-Jesse
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
i was actually looking at those suggested for beginners earlier in this thread. however, these are the ones i'm truly interested in and serious about, longer-lived in my opinion is more preferable:

Phyllocrania paradoxa - Ghost Mantis (first choice)
Miomantis paykullii - Egyptian Mantis (second choice, white phase)

now, i wanted to know, how common are different color phases to get? such as the white above and the two below i'm about to mention?

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii - Spiny Flower Mantis (first choice IF i could handle it...preferably in pink or purple phase)

i look forward to your reply and am definitely ordering that book. :)
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
color phases of both those species involve the person rearing them under special environmental conditions, which involves a little bit more effort on the breeders part. Most if not all breeders do not offer a choice of color phases, just whatever color they become under the conditions the breeder rears them. Both of those species are excellent choices, but the P. paradoxa will live much longer(on average). I have both and reccommend both. Hope that helps-
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
how long on average will both those first two species live...and, also, how much more difficult is the Spiny Flower Mantis to keep and how long does it live? thanks. :)

i find it odd that color phases aren't offered. do these occur naturally or do they change colors later after hatching and as they molt?

sorry, don't know much about them yet, but i'm reading up. :)

found a great site, Mantis UK and am reading that with great eagerness!
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
nevermind, i re-read your response and am now taking it to mean that they don't really breed for color and so end up selling whatever color occurs.

may i ask if anyone knows what causes the color phases and whether they develop after hatching and during molting or if they come out that color?
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
Some species heredity determines color, others it depends on all or some of the following, humidity, temp, foliage color, precipatation, and heredity. If heredity does not play a major role in color than, the mantid may change color from molt to molt, depending on conditions. If you want a detailed account of why then read the book, The Praying Mantids , by Prete, Wells, and Hurd. It is a very detailed book, but costs about $80-$100. It is very good, and will tell you everything you want to know and more.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
great. thanks very much. :) i've actually seen that book and figured it was probably pretty good.

i'm reading a lot more online. say, you never did answer about the lifespans of all three and how difficult you find Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii to keep. i know they require higher humidity but didn't find much that said they were exceptionally hard. however, i would also like your opinion. and then again, lifespan also concerns me.

an estimate of how long each of those species lives from hatching to death is helpful. i know molts can sometimes take 3-4 weeks but i don't know how many molts each has, etc. and so i can't figure a really good timeframe for total lifespan.

thanks again.
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
I have never kept P. wahlbergii myself, so I don't know the details about them. P. paradoxa take 4-9 months to mature and may live for an additional year after that. M. paykullii take 2-4 months to mature and live an additional 2-9 months after maturing. From what I have read P. wahlbergii is not that difficult to keep and have a similar life expectancy as the M. paykullii.
 

skadiwolf

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
645
by what molt are most mantids considered adult or is that also a species thing? if so, can you answer it for those species? sorry, i'm finding a lot of information, but nothing quite this specific. if you can recommend websites with this information, i'll stop bugging you. :)

thanks so much for your input so far, it is GREATLY appreciated. :) any sites you recommend purchasing from...or individuals?
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
The amount of molts varies from species to species, and in some cases from individual to individual. Usually they molt from 7-9 times. It is obvious when they become adults because adults have wings of some sort/shape/size. I mentioned on a previous post who I reccommend.
 
Top