# what's your favourite mantid???



## mantis religiosa (Oct 26, 2007)

What's your favourite, I just can't decide!I like orchid mantids, praying mantids, spiny flower mantids, african devil mantids, but I can't decide!


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## keelan (Oct 26, 2007)

orchid mantids are very nice indeed but my favourite is all of them if thats possible hehe


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## Morpheus uk (Oct 26, 2007)

For me itd be any empusidae, and any other flower or dead leaf mantid


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## Ben.M (Oct 26, 2007)

Mine changes a lot lol but at this moment in time i would say _Creobroter sp._


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## Mantida (Oct 26, 2007)

Actually, I would say T. ardifolia sinesis. A plain mantis yes, but rather aggressive and also calm and regal.


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## yen_saw (Oct 26, 2007)

Orchid mantis


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## Mantis Keeper (Oct 26, 2007)

Of what I've raised so far, grisea, though I have to say the pretiosa nymphs and PW I have now are starting to give it a run for it's money.


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## allenator (Oct 26, 2007)

I haven't had any Orchid Mantids so I can't say either way about those. I'm not a big fan of the more timid species like Violin's and Ghost mantids. As far as looks and aggressive behavior I am gonna have to go with P. Wahlbergii (#9's Spiny Flower Mantid) hands down as my favorite species.


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## OGIGA (Oct 26, 2007)

Orchids are my favorite so far, but that's because I haven't tried the other ones yet.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 26, 2007)

I really like the Hierodula's, they are so pretty, all slightly different hues of colors and always wanting to eat, they are a little shy, but they are my fav!


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## Mantis_Whisper (Oct 26, 2007)

So far the ghost mantis and the Texas unicorn. If I can get my hands on some wandering violins I'll be the happiest girl in the world.


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## bubforever (Oct 26, 2007)

Honest to God i love orchids, their colors and camoflauge simply stun me.


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## Precious (Oct 27, 2007)

mantida said:


> Actually, I would say T. ardifolia sinesis. A plain mantis yes, but rather aggressive and also calm and regal.


Well said. They are not so "plain" though as they are common. Definately my favorite. They have distinctive individual personalities and are very interactive. A close second would be the chlorophaea. They are so sweet and so beautiful and I like that dancing. The flower mantids that I have kept are so dang small, pretty but I like a mantid that you can play with! I like Hierodula as well, Hibiscus. LOVE their colors and their big triangle faces!


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## MantidLord (Oct 29, 2007)

I absolutley LOVE the ghost mantis. My uncle had some once, and i stared at them for hours, they even will live in little colonies, like they redefine the stereotype of "brutal mantids that cant get along" lol.


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## Kruszakus (Oct 30, 2007)

I just love active mantids - Odontomantis Planiceps is me favorite, but I would like to buy more small mantids - like Otomantis, Ceratomantis - boxers mostly - they can handle a large prey, and its always fun to watch them hunt - big mantids tend to grow complacent with the fact that they are bigger than anything else... and there is nothing spectacular in watching 10 cm long Tenodera handle 2 cm long cricket - but give the cricket of the same size to C. Elongata, that barely reaches 5 cm, and it will hunt it down and tear it to shreds - now that's what I like to see!

As for looks - my friend's syb-adult H. Coronatus was just shockingly cute! Maybe I'll give them a try - but they are a bit sluggish when adult.


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## ThorEH (Oct 30, 2007)

Right now it MUST be these guys...

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=18...1280&amp;size=o


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## Malnra (Oct 30, 2007)

ThorEH said:


> Right now it MUST be these guys...http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=18...1280&amp;size=o


Nice image there Thor .... good looking mantis in the image also.

back on topic ....

I am torn .. I like the images I have seen of the Violin .. just looks like the jet fighter of the mantis family.

The orchid mantis is nice looking ....

The ghost mantis has a look that could grow on me ... i may end up buying 1 of several types to see which one i like the best and concentrate on that ...

I am not sure I want to have 27 different species (or however many there are)


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## MantidLord (Oct 30, 2007)

ThorEH said:


> Right now it MUST be these guys...http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=18...1280&amp;size=o


Man! What the hech is that! That looks cool, but I still like the ghost


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## Red (Oct 30, 2007)

i love toxodera  but i havent got it so...... i love orchids, sybilla... and all empusidae family!

Regards


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## Mantida (Oct 30, 2007)

Kruszakus said:


> big mantids tend to grow complacent with the fact that they are bigger than anything else... and there is nothing spectacular in watching 10 cm long Tenodera handle 2 cm long cricket


Not really. There are bugs out there that are about the same size as adult tenoderas. Dragonflies are about the same size as my adult male and he jumps in the air to catch them.


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## Mantis Keeper (Oct 31, 2007)

mantida said:


> Not really. There are bugs out there that are about the same size as adult tenoderas. Dragonflies are about the same size as my adult male and he jumps in the air to catch them.


He jumps for them?! Now that sounds like something I want to try.


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## Kruszakus (Oct 31, 2007)

Yeah, because that is a flying insect - their movements trigger a reaction that results in mantid's brutal attack - but they do not seem so eager when it comes to hunting a cricket or a roach.


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## ThorEH (Oct 31, 2007)

MantidLord said:


> Man! What the hech is that! That looks cool, but I still like the ghost


Thats a Ghost mantis


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## Mantida (Oct 31, 2007)

Mantis Keeper said:


> He jumps for them?! Now that sounds like something I want to try.


http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x25/her...current=023.flv

Unfortunately there are no more dragonflies for me to record for him actually jumping in the air. But he does jump in the air and to the ground when he sees prey.


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## king_frog (Nov 1, 2007)

Sounds like a pretty active mantid then.


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## Mantis Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

That looks so cool, I would love to have my mantids do that.


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## Schloaty (Nov 1, 2007)

I like anything big &amp; hungry.

I've seen my female chinese mantis jump to the ground to get a cricket.


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