Best mantids for beginners?

Hello lovely people,  as some of you know, I am new to mantids and getting hooked

So I have my gastrica L? and a spiny flower L5.  I'm learning by the minute and fascinated by these creatures.

Although I cant go crazy on numbers due to my circumstances, I think I could still manage 1 or even 2 more. It also makes sense considering purchasing the feeder insects, to have a few eaters...

Could you advise me based on your experience, which mantids would be suitable for beginners? The main factor being, they should be ok with the same temps as gastrica & spiny as I can only keep them all in one heated cupboard. Also, something that I could leave home alone for a weekend or so. Happy to be handled, too.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support

Just sharing pics - my gastrica inside her food dish staring in disbelief that her mealworm is gone already

and my spiny enjoying her first ever mini mealworm

Hierodula sp. are super easy to care for... I've never lost one. You may want to give Stagmomantis carolina (wide temperature range of 19-29° C) or Chinese a try, both are easy care and rather large. Ghosts are also super super easy if you don't  mind smaller species.

You already know Sphodromantis is easy care.

Ghosts are awesome for beginners. Creos, Popa spurca, and budwings are awesome as well!

- MantisGirl13

I'm new to the hobby as well. I second MantisGirl13's recommendation. I ordered four ghost mantises because I thought I was going to end up accidentally killing one or two. They are all still alive and seem to be thriving. Minimal care is needed--I check on them multiple times per day, but that's mostly just because I'm fascinated by them. I mist daily (sometimes I forget and its every other day), feed once or twice per week, and have a light on them. My room stays around 70 degrees, +/- 5 degrees. The only tool I have to really use to make sure everything is copacetic is a hygrometer, and I only have one hygrometer in one of the four enclosures since the setup in each is the same. It's been almost two months now and they have all molted and seem to be happy. I'm sure theres more I can do to increase their quality of life, but as it stands, rearing ghost mantises has been easier than I had anticipated.

Hierodulas are a good beginner species, ghosts ,budwings and creobroters also For myself I had chosen a hierodula menbranacea  as first mantis because they are big as an adult.

Little Mantis said:

Hierodulas are a good beginner species, ...

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I'm a n00b. Here's my Hierodula venosa, adult female. Taken some weeks ago. 



Still creepy as ever, but a bit cranky now. Must be that she's 'in season'.

Your Venosa is beautiful, it is still sad  Icouln't save mine.

hysteresis said:

I'm a n00b.

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You are not a n00b anymore. You brought your girl to adulthood

hysteresis said:

I'm a n00b

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Not anymore! 

- MantisGirl13

Little Mantis said:

Your Venosa is beautiful, it is still sad  Icouln't save mine.

You are not a n00b anymore. You brought your girl to adulthood

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MantisGirl13 said:

Not anymore! 

- MantisGirl13

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I suppose not. Yall have years experience though, whereas i have months. 

Yeah shes big and mean now. LoL. Must be lonely and needs a date.

@Little Mantis you should grab another, and try again. ☺

hysteresis said:

you should grab another, and try again. ☺

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When my breeder have them again I will try again

hysteresis said:

Yall have years experience though, whereas i have months.

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I have only a year experience .

Hi guys, im back. Im not great at being a regular here but do my best.

Ah that Venosa is gorgeous!!!  

Ghosts are beautiful, i love the shape of them.... but for some reason Im not quite drawn to them right now, i think for now i prefer the big species....

Actually, guys, since I wrote that post, ive  been busy hunting down UK breeders as thats where I am and out of what I found, I struck lucky!

Yes, tomorrow im expecting a delivery of 5 - yes 5!!!! Red Devils!!!! Rhombodera sp. I dont know what got into me but when I saw the offer, they are pretty rare but the breeder explained that not so hard to keep so I made a jump and got a few to try to breed them

So there is my answer...... I thought id like to get something a bit "special" whilst still fairly hardy.  

So have you seen these before? This is a pic from the web of an adult, nymphs are still greenish. They have some special requirements but nothing too difficult.... 

I don't see an *envious* emoji.

Believe me, I am. Well done!

I know...... i would be, too

.....Thank you! Im super excited

That's awesome! It is always exciting to get new mantids.

- MantisGirl13

i like that red shield mantis

I really like it too! 

Thank you! They just arrived today, exciting times

Does any of you keep Rhomboderas? I cannot find many good care sheets....

Sweet! They look healthy and happy!

Here is a good care sheet.  I followed these guidelines and have had great success. Good luck! 

https://www.panterrapets.com/pages/giant-shield-mantis-caresheet