# Hello



## Tiara (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi! I am brand new at keeping mantids. I just got my first one from a reptile show in NY. It is a Hierodula patellifera. I do not know if it is a girl or a boy. Any help with figureing that out would be helpful. I did read that males have 8 pieces on thier butt and females have 6. I counted the top and it looks like more than 6 but the bottom looks like there is 6. So where do you look at to count?? Also any help on how to take care of it would be helpful too. I was told to mist it lightly twice a day and feed it a cricket a day. My boyfriend raises dubia roaches for all the other pets and it seemed to enjoy snacking on them. Also how do I tell how old it is? How long do they live? I am now fascinated with this little alien!! I want to make it have the most enjoyable life possible!!. Thank You very much.


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 1, 2008)

:lol: Hi Tiara, welcome to the forum from OHIO!

Count from the bottom, a pic would be most helpful, and it is hard to tell how old it is. They can have flies and worms along with the crickets and roaches!


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## shorty (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi and welcome to the forum and the hobby! If you can upload a pic of the underside of it's abdomen we can sex it for you. Also, if you use a substrate on the bottom of it's enclosure you won't need to mist it so much. You don't want to create stagnant humidity in there or he/she will have week growth. A substrate could be sphagnum moss, a piece of paper-towel, humidity foam, or coconut fiber; anything to keep in the moisture. I personally use sphagnum moss and mist once every other day. Overall, it seems you're doing a good job so far. One thing you should be aware of, though, is that pet store crickets have a history of making mantids sick because of poor care of them. What you do with them is get a container, line the bottom with oatmeal, place a dish with a piece of humidity foam in water, or some rocks in water, and feed them romaine lettuce, other leafy greens, or go to mantisplace.com and order the cricket chop. That's what I feed them. Remember, your mantids are what they eat! The dubia roaches are great to feed them also. As far as age goes, it will be hard to determine the exact age unless it has full wings, in which case it would be an adult and would have already completed it's final molt. Post a pic and we might be able to give an estimate of it's age. Keep in mind, they have to shed their skin and this is a fragile time in their lives. So, make sure they have enough room and do not disturb them during this process or up to a day after. Enjoy the new hobby!


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## Tiara (Dec 1, 2008)

Hey guys! Thankyou for your prompt responses! I feel so welcome! I cant wait to get to know all you guys! I attached some pictures. They arent very good but hopefully it will help. I have to learn how to use all the setting on that thing!! I hope it is a girl! How long do they live? I havent been able to find out much info on this particular species. I have (hopefully) her on coconut fiber with a couple sticks and a fake plant. She seems to like it. She has been hanging upsidedown all day long! How often should she eat? She will be eating baby dubias. Should I put a water bowl? Am I missing any thing? Please feel free to tell me if I am doing some thing wrong. I AM new at this. LOL  Thanks again


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## Katnapper (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi Tiara and welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here.  Check out the "sticky" threads in each section for some basic care and guidelines to go by in raising your mantis. And browse through or search the forums past threads for lots of helpful information too! Good luck with your little one. I can't really tell from the pics which sex it is for certain... but it looks like a little boy to me.


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## Rick (Dec 2, 2008)

Welcome. The link below will help:

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7110


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## shorty (Dec 3, 2008)

It's hard to tell for certain, but I also think that it's a little boy not to far from the age of my Hierodula membranacea nymphs. I have eight of them. Also have about six thousand T. sinensis nymphs on the way if anyone wants any.


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## Katnapper (Dec 3, 2008)

shorty said:


> *about six thousand T. sinensis nymphs *on the way if anyone wants any.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:  !


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## revmdn (Dec 3, 2008)

Welcome, welcome, welcome!


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## nasty bugger (Dec 30, 2008)

It does look like a happy mantis

All them roaches are keeping it happy  

Enjoy


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