# Longest lived mantid?



## JoeCapricorn (Apr 19, 2010)

What is the longest lived mantid species? I have heard people keeping a mantis until the age of 14 months, but are there mantises that live noticably longer than that? Any 2 year or 3 year mantises?

And going along with the same topic, what is the longest lived mantis you personally had? For me, Amber was probably one of the oldest mantises I had but I cannot know for sure. I've had Angel, Kit, Fortune and Meek a lot longer than any insect pet I've had before and three (aside from Fortune) are still going quite strong. Kit has one molt left to go before being an adult. Then there are the second bunch of mantises - Baphomet, Jasper, Dio and Nereid who are all a molt away from adult (although Baphomet may not make it since he's been a bit ill lately ever since suddenly becoming anorexic :s)


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## PhilinYuma (Apr 19, 2010)

JoeCapricorn said:


> What is the longest lived mantid species? I have heard people keeping a mantis until the age of 14 months, but are there mantises that live noticably longer than that? Any 2 year or 3 year mantises?
> 
> And going along with the same topic, what is the longest lived mantis you personally had? For me, Amber was probably one of the oldest mantises I had but I cannot know for sure. I've had Angel, Kit, Fortune and Meek a lot longer than any insect pet I've had before and three (aside from Fortune) are still going quite strong. Kit has one molt left to go before being an adult. Then there are the second bunch of mantises - Baphomet, Jasper, Dio and Nereid who are all a molt away from adult (although Baphomet may not make it since he's been a bit ill lately ever since suddenly becoming anorexic :s)


No two or three- year mantises, Joe. Can you think why?

As for oldest personally owned mantids, I think that my Jesus, Mary and Joseph probably lived longer than Kit, Fortune and Meek will, but my Tom ###### and Harry, probably did not live as long as Amber and Angel. Alfie, God's Bloody Vengeance on the Unrepentant Ghiaour, She was Poor but She was Honest and Jimmy Come Lately all died young, I am afraid, but I have high hopes for If You Go Down In the Woods Today, You're in for a Big Surprise.

Hope this helps.


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## Rick (Apr 19, 2010)

I had a shield mantis that lived about 15 months or so.


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## [email protected] (Apr 19, 2010)

A year is something to aim for.


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## sbugir (Apr 19, 2010)

Budwings are pretty hardy and long-lived. I have a female AND male approaching 9 months... they both molted one month ago :lol: they still move around like nymphs


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## hogosha (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a female Ghost live just a week short of 18 months. They were kept pretty cool for Ghosts though. Low 70's for the most part so they matured slowly too. The rest of that 'group' of 6 were closer to 13-14 months.

Mikey


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## JoeCapricorn (Apr 21, 2010)

PhilinYuma said:


> No two or three- year mantises, Joe. Can you think why?
> 
> As for oldest personally owned mantids, I think that my Jesus, Mary and Joseph probably lived longer than Kit, Fortune and Meek will, but my Tom ###### and Harry, probably did not live as long as Amber and Angel. Alfie, God's Bloody Vengeance on the Unrepentant Ghiaour, She was Poor but She was Honest and Jimmy Come Lately all died young, I am afraid, but I have high hopes for If You Go Down In the Woods Today, You're in for a Big Surprise.
> 
> Hope this helps.


Those are some cool names there. Amber probably was 6 months old when she passed, if she was born in May and she passed in November. She was wild caught, but was the last mantis of 2009 of the wild caught ones. Angel is the same age as Kit and Fortune, all molted probably pretty close together. Meek might be a bit younger, but maybe was just behind molting to 2nd instar when he arrived. I assume all of their birthdays to be October 15, which makes them 6 months old. This is about the age of Amber, but keep in mind, they also were raised in a cooler environment over the winter. They'll likely reach a year.

Baphomet, Jasper, Nereid and Dio are assumed to be born early December, so are 4 1/2 months old, but could be mid November and be 5 months old. They are not too far from catching up to Angel and Meek to adult hood. They are also more spread out, with Jasper being the oldest, Nereid and Dio in between and Baphomet the youngest. I anticipate they will also reach a year old or more, possibly as far as January 2011.

It's good to hear the longevity of Ghost mantises and Budwings. I have two budwings and a ghost, the ghost being an adult that I hope to have for quite a while. I know in the future I'll try raising these guys from nymphs.


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## Schloaty (Apr 22, 2010)

> Those are some cool names there.


I'm reasonably sure he was teasing you, Joe.

You talk about your mantids on a first-name basis - and no one reading this has the slightest idea what you're talking about (if they haven't read your matis update thread).


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## JoeCapricorn (Apr 22, 2010)

Heh!

The T. sinensis are unnamed, but when they are put in containers they'll be labeled with Greek letters for temporary names, to keep track of when they molt and all.


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## kamakiri (Oct 10, 2011)

My current oldest is 19 months old now...still alive...and been an adult since just before christmas last year. She's a _D. desiccata._


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## naeff002 (Oct 10, 2011)

I have 2 D. truncata and 2 D. trigonodera that I got in Januari 2010 as L1 and they are still alive today. That is 22 months


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 10, 2011)

I've read that B mendica is very long-lived as far as mantids go, living over a year easily.


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## mantisboy (Oct 11, 2011)

I have had quite a few wild M Religiosa mantids and if they were hatched in May (we get snow) they lived about 7-8 months.


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## kunturman (Feb 21, 2012)

Deroplatys desiccata 13 months.


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## agent A (Feb 21, 2012)

I had a miomantis live over 8 months

My popa female is over a year old now (ask yen if u don't believe me)

Also gongy females live a long long time

And u would be surprised how long I got an odontomantis female to live- 7 months as an adult


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## ismart (Feb 22, 2012)

I had a D. lobata live 18 months.


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## brancsikia339 (Feb 22, 2012)

Had T. sinensis live for 14 months, but I'm pretty sure mios and popas live the longest


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## guapoalto049 (Feb 22, 2012)

D. desiccata I anticipate will be my longest, they're well over a year and still producing large ooths. I also had a budwing pass the 500 day mark, she was adult for nearly 14 months.


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## mkayum (Feb 22, 2012)

Oh my! I'm going to get p. spurca for sure! Haha.


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## mmmantis (Feb 22, 2012)

Acanthops sp can live for over a year as adults and take 4+ months to mature and can lay 20+ oothecae


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## CoolMantid (Feb 25, 2012)

Just into 16 months- (Died as a sub-adult)Ghost

Yes, yes, I know. I kept here at 68-72 F and feeding once a week.

But now I keep my ghosts at 85-88 F Feeding everyday


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