How did YOU get into mantids?

[MantisRCool]

Well as I kid I wanted a reptile as a pet, but at the time (actually until 15.08.2017 which was 2 days ago ) Reptiles and amphibians were 100% banned, in Norway! So i wondered to myself if there was other cool thing i could have as a pet. I discovered people keeping T's and scorpions, so naturally the question was do people keep other insects? I knew people kept phasmids as they were common in pet shops, and I had no clue was a mantis was as we dont have any native species in Norway, so after keeping stick insects for 1 year or so I go on bugzuk.com and discover these nifty little creatures named mantids, my first ever mantis was a hierodula grandis it didnt get to adult hood as it was my first carnivore I had ever kept and i really understimated the care they needed and it died in a mismoult. Now a couple of years later I keep alot of mantis and love them all  Right now my current species are: Gongylus gongylodus, Rhombodera. cf megaera, Phyllotelys breve, phyllocrania paradoxa, and Parasphendale agrigonia, and probobly mores to come, I hope to breed most if not all of my species to share this beautifull hobby with others in my country as most people just keep T's or GALS here so want to spread it some more ^^

Wow reptiles are banned? That's crazy! Any idea why? Cause it's not like they can survive in Norway if some irresponsible keeper lets them out lol. Glad you found something that isnt, life with pets is way better than without in my opinion lol. Mantids especially  

 

[Connor]

I just recently got into mantids about 2 weeks ago after finding a sub adult European mantis outside and absolutely captured by the intelligence of the animal. I later looked online for advice and came across this forum. Very soon after I ordered some more and became absolutely addicted.... I really need to slow myself down haha!

 

[moldveien]

Wow reptiles are banned? That's crazy! Any idea why? Cause it's not like they can survive in Norway if some irresponsible keeper lets them out lol. Glad you found something that isnt, life with pets is way better than without in my opinion lol. Mantids especially  

They were, as I said they legalized some species on the 15th of august so 5 days ago  (getting a crestie ^^) The reason was back in the 70s the hobby was still rather new and most pet reptiles started dying off around winter time so to stop the importing and then killing of animals they just banned them, then it took forever to legalize them again.

 

[Jessie]

My story is a bit longer haha.

When I was kid I realized I loved animals ten times more then people, I got bullied alot in school. I also suffered PTSD from kids chasing me into the girls bathroom in 6th grade. It just came to me one day that I would love a praying mantis. Bugsey was my first mantis, I sang to him every night. He and I had such a bond, that I would risk my own life for my mantis's. Then in feb my cat Tigger passed away from a sudden heart attack. If it wasn't for Bugsey I would've been alot worse. Then not long after my 6th year old cat Prince was diegonsed with kidney failure stage 4. I remember bawling my eyes out, and I looked at mantis's to distract myself. I found a cat eyed mantis. ( Heterochaeta cf occidentalis) And bought him. Realized life was to short and I thought he looked awesome looking.

They have saved my life in more ways then one.

 

[wetterdew]

That's a good question...it wasn't even that long ago, but I can't really remember!  I've always really admired mantises, even though I've only seen a few of them in the wild in my life.  They seem so elegant and beautiful, as well as intelligent and otherworldly.  There's something special about the way they react to people, almost like they know a secret we've long forgotten.  I'm pretty sure I came across a picture, video, or article of a mantis earlier this year or maybe last year and decided to see how long they live and how they are as pets.  The more I read, the more I wanted one.

I've never really had a pet before other than an anole when I was a kid, but I was excited to try.  I'm a huge bird fan, but I don't want to lock them up in a cage or a house, and I also can't commit to over a decade of care.  Mantises are such a perfect pet for me now.  I hope they are happy, as well.

 

[bugboymark]

Way WAY back in kindergarten (70s)...my friend brought in a Chinese mantis for "show and tell".  I was completely engrossed.  I couldn't believe how gigantic they were!  Have been fascinated (borderline fixated) by all insects and most other wildlife ever since...but the mantis was always #1.  A few years after the kindergarten intro, I was visiting my uncle in S. IL , near Vandalia, during Labor Day, and he showed me a bunch of places where he would regularly see mantises (Tenodera and Stagmo).  This REALLY got me going and I've been collecting and raising both species ever since. Gave Europeans a shot for a couple years, but they were surprisingly difficult to raise.  Anyhow, I've even been able to recruit my high school boy's help in finding these critters (and their food) over the last half dozen years. Lost one to college this year, but the other high schooler is still put to work on occasion. The upside phones these days is the high quality photography capability...so we've both captured some great pictures of mantises over the last few years as well. 

One of these days, I'll post some photos of the 3 Chinese and 3 Carolina mantids I'm raising...plus the dozens more I find living wild around our neighborhood in the NW 'Burbs of Chicago.    

 

[Carnival Glass]

Last year around November, right around the time the temp gets to freezing, my boss and I found a beautiful HUGE mantis clinging to the wall by our smoker's patio. I had never seen one up close before and felt awful that she was sitting there in the cold and would probably die so I scooped her up and took her home. She lived a looong time after, while snow was falling outside! She gave me some fertile ooths and I released those in the spring. As she was getting old, I'd take her out on my palm and she seemed to really enjoy the warmth.. Had a soft spot for them ever since!  :wub:

 

[Serle]

I found my first Tenodera around this time of year . Not realizing they are naturalized in our area (B.C.) and not having seen one here before , I found that I was one of few people that had not. Started researching mantids and now raise 3 species ............  S

 

[snuhan]

I'm really into tarantulas, but as a minor I've got to yield to the parents TT One day a tarantula enthusiast I followed on Youtube posted a video about their Giant African mantis, talking about how fascinating it was as the mantis followed the camera around with those big bug eyes (<3). I was pretty instantly smitten, and now I've got an L3 Spiny Flower and an L2(or L3? I bought it at Repticon just this past weekend and it molted yesterday, so I suspect L2. The thing was barely the size of an ant!) Twig as my first mantids and I'm having quite a time!! they really are sweethearts :^)

 

[Ocelotbren]

I'm really into tarantulas, but as a minor I've got to yield to the parents TT One day a tarantula enthusiast I followed on Youtube posted a video about their Giant African mantis, talking about how fascinating it was as the mantis followed the camera around with those big bug eyes (<3). I was pretty instantly smitten, and now I've got an L3 Spiny Flower and an L2(or L3? I bought it at Repticon just this past weekend and it molted yesterday, so I suspect L2. The thing was barely the size of an ant!) Twig as my first mantids and I'm having quite a time!! they really are sweethearts :^)

So your parents won't allow tarantulas, but will allow mantids?  Interesting!  Is it just the general stigma around spiders?

 

[snuhan]

So your parents won't allow tarantulas, but will allow mantids?  Interesting!  Is it just the general stigma around spiders?

Yea, I think that's all of it. I think they're scared of it getting out...? I don't quite understand it, haha, but they seem to actually kind of like the mantis since it's still small and sweet looking :^) Couldn't pay em to feed or hold it, tho :^P

 

[Ocelotbren]

Yea, I think that's all of it. I think they're scared of it getting out...? I don't quite understand it, haha, but they seem to actually kind of like the mantis since it's still small and sweet looking :^) Couldn't pay em to feed or hold it, tho :^P

Haha that is the general opinion of most friends and family for me too.  Cool to look at, but keep it away!  I have gotten my husband to hold them a couple times though. 

 

[OmniXVII]

Simply put, I stumbled across some Youtube videos about mantids and they absolutely fascinated me. There's something so interesting about them. They're literally bug-eyed aliens with scythes for hands, THAT YOU CAN HAVE AS A PET.

I can watch videos about mantids for hours, and watch my pet mantis eat and be genuinely entertained by it. They're beautiful, have amazing variety between species, and are cute but deadly at the same time. 

 

[JettyDoor]

We hatch them every year for the farm and garden, so I grew up with the joy of hatching nymphs. I saw orchid mantises and fell in love with the buggies, and started researching them, and then Peter said "Hey, we have some available Tuesday and we ship to MN year round.."

 

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

My dad had three Mantis religiosa when he was a kid, and I found a subadult female Stagmomantis carolina on the side of my house that I named Superclaw(I was 7!). I had her for 2 months before she got killed by a bumblebee. It just kind of went on from there.

 

[Ocelotbren]

My dad had three Mantis religiosa when he was a kid, and I found a subadult female Stagmomantis carolina on the side of my house that I named Superclaw(I was 7!). I had her for 2 months before she got killed by a bumblebee. It just kind of went on from there.

Superclaw, love it.

I love reading everyone's stories too.

 

[Zelda]

I'm a fan of a YouTuber called Taylor Nicole Dean and she has a lot of animals. I was binge watching her videos and I saw her talk about having a mantis. I was so surprised and instantly in love. A few months later, my neighbor (who loves pets as much as I do) started talking with me about mantis pets, and I figured with her support I should definitely get one right now.

 

[Mantis Lady]

I spend a lot of time on youtube watching vids when I can't sleep and somehow I ended up on vids of ppl who are keeping mantids as pets. I kept watching more of these vids and got facinated by this beautiful insect with its triangled head en huge fore arms.  I started to look for information how to care for them. Then one night I decided to buy one to raise it myself.

I started to look for websites who sells them in my country and found one. I didn't want for my future mantis to sit in a box very long. I ordered my first mantis and some stuff to build a home. And that is how Cochise came into my life. Her home is standing on my desk so I can see her always. And in the evening I let her out for exploring. She loves to do that.

Last week I bought 3 other nymphs to raise.