Carolina mantis egg case

I will be getting 2 carolina mantis eggs and one chinese.
Now, can they both eat Drosophila Hydei or Melanogaster?
Also, will the carolina or both live alone in a 32 oz deli cup? And, how many cultures should i get? i plan to raise one. Also, i caught a Mediterranean male mantis. He is eating things 1/3 his size!!

KevinsWither said:

Also, will the carolina or both live alone in a 32 oz deli cup?

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Mantids are not communal

scorpion975 said:

Mantids are not communal

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I mean if ethier the carolina or chinese will live in a 323 oz deli cup. Not live together, but they can thrive in the same size (not together).

You're going to have a ton of nymphs! Goodluck raising them dude. I just started keeping mantids, I refuse to breed them because they have soooo many babies in one ootheca. Don't release the Chinese either. They're an invasive species.

scorpion975 said:

Mantids are not communal

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Are you 100% positive?

Most mantid species are not communal, including the Chinese and the Carolina. When they hatch you can keep them together for a few weeks and they will basically eat each other, reducing themselves into a manageable number. I still feed them fruit flies, but you will see some eating another mantis.
You can then try putting 3-4 in a 32 oz. Deli cup, ive had some stay this way for a few molts, but eventually they will eat each other.

LOL, you are planning to raise a single mantid, but when they hatch you'll have hundreds. I once left 5-6 ooths in a box in a bedroom, and I returned a few days later to find hundreds all over the room. Many were still in the box, but there were mantids on every wall and and on the ceiling. Even after I thought I moved them all I would find more for a few days after.

Good luck, and be ready for an adventure.

Finally, you can keep them in small containers early on, that way you can try raising up more than one. Remember a bad molt, or weak genetics can cause you to lose a mantis suddenly.

I do not plan to release the Chinese. Just a few Carolinas. And which kritter keeper size is minimal for each species? Also, they are keeping good in the fridge. Would regular fridge temperature work? I plan to raise a few. Would the Chinese mantis keep in a deli cup (32)

KevinsWither said:

I will be getting 2 carolina mantis eggs and one chinese.
Now, can they both eat Drosophila Hydei or Melanogaster?
Also, will the carolina or both live alone in a 32 oz deli cup? And, how many cultures should i get? i plan to raise one. Also, i caught a Mediterranean male mantis. He is eating things 1/3 his size!!

Click to expand...

Your best bet is to do a bunch of research(buy a book preferably or go online)mantid's and there setups can be some what complex.

KevinsWither said:

I do not plan to release the Chinese. Just a few Carolinas. And which kritter keeper size is minimal for each species? Also, they are keeping good in the fridge. Would regular fridge temperature work? I plan to raise a few. Would the Chinese mantis keep in a deli cup (32)

Click to expand...

Yup deli cup will work perfectly for your mantis!