# can someone ID this latin name for me?



## buddhistsoldier88 (Jul 8, 2007)

gontisia grisea someone sent this to me cause i was interested in a new manid and i tried to look it up but i cant find anything on it...


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## francisco (Jul 8, 2007)

Gonatista grisea


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## buddhistsoldier88 (Jul 8, 2007)

would you guys reccomend this species as a "noob mantis"?


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## yen_saw (Jul 9, 2007)

Florida bark mantis small nymphs (especially L1) is not easy to care for, they will drop like flies if proper food and caging is not available. Small nymphs die easily when i didn't provide more bark and twig as they are really bad glass/plastic climbing, i suffer 50% mortality on the first ooth, with proper care, my second batch improve with only 30% mortality. However, i noticed that they are pretty hardy once grew up to L4 and above.


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## Asa (Jul 9, 2007)

Doesn't sound like its a good mantis for you. I've actually never owned them.


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## colddigger (Jul 9, 2007)

> Florida bark mantis small nymphs (especially L1) is not easy to care for, they will drop like flies if proper food and caging is not available. Small nymphs die easily when i didn't provide more bark and twig as they are really bad glass/plastic climbing, i suffer 50% mortality on the first ooth, with proper care, my second batch improve with only 30% mortality. However, i noticed that they are pretty hardy once grew up to L4 and above.


so, i take it if i ever get some i should line the sides with stripped bark?


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## ABbuggin (Jul 11, 2007)

I am currently raising these.

Yen is so right they do drop like flies at L1 no matter how well you take care of them. I lost 8 out of 11 in a week. It was devastating. But once they become older very hardy and amazing to feed.

I keep mine in the regulat 32oz cup with a chunk (almost as tall as the cup) of a "1 1/2 thick dowel screwed to the bottom...works like a charm. The setup may be a litte small for adult but I do not know yet (mine are sitll too young).

Be prepared this is a very SLOW growing species but ironically they have a fast motabolism. I recieved L1 mantids in January. It is now August and I have one subadult male. But the wait is well wort it as they become more and more exciting as they get older (not to mention much faster)!

I noticed in my experiece with this species that they like it a litte warm with low humidity (they hate being sprayed with water). I lightly mist 1x-2x a week and all is well.

AB


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## Christian (Jul 11, 2007)

> It is now August


 :shock: Over here it is still July... We switched to the Gregorian calendar some hundert years ago... :lol: 

Laughing greets,

Christian


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## Asa (Jul 11, 2007)

> > It is now August
> 
> 
> :shock: Over here it is still July... We switched to the Gregorian calendar some hundert years ago... :lol:
> ...


Yeah, what's up with that?


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## yen_saw (Jul 11, 2007)

> > Florida bark mantis small nymphs (especially L1) is not easy to care for, they will drop like flies if proper food and caging is not available. Small nymphs die easily when i didn't provide more bark and twig as they are really bad glass/plastic climbing, i suffer 50% mortality on the first ooth, with proper care, my second batch improve with only 30% mortality. However, i noticed that they are pretty hardy once grew up to L4 and above.
> 
> 
> so, i take it if i ever get some i should line the sides with stripped bark?


Yes that would do, basically needs lot of bark and twig, and good ventilation as well.


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## Asa (Jul 11, 2007)

Are they a fun species to keep?


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## yen_saw (Jul 11, 2007)

Depends on what you mean by "fun". If you like a species that grows up fast, this is not the species. Otherwise, they feed and moult just like other species. Some people like it due to the bark mimicry.


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## Asa (Jul 11, 2007)

> Depends on what you mean by "fun". If you like a species that grows up fast, this is not the species. Otherwise, they feed and moult just like other species. Some people like it due to the bark mimicry.


I mean, do they look interesting? Eat interesting? Mate interesting? Hunt interesting? Overall, act interesting?


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## yen_saw (Jul 11, 2007)

they certainly look interesting IMO as they look very different than the ordinary mantis. Eat, mate, hunt the same way as other mantis species. An ambush type predator, hunt down insects with two strong raptorial arms, and moult the same way as most mantis.


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## colddigger (Jul 11, 2007)

the adults are circular, what more do you want Asa?


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