# Hello fellow mantid fanatics!



## Penguin (Dec 7, 2010)

Hey everyone, my name is Celeste/Penguin, I am from New Zealand and I love mantids!

I live on four and 1/2 acres of land with lots of trees, three garden, a forest on one side and a pecan orchard in the

middle.

It's summer here, so I found my first mantid yesterday on a lavender bush hunting bees, she is now in a jar approximately

three times her size with the right housing conditions, I feed her water on a teaspoon and she loves flies

though when I put a cicada in there she wasn't too interested haha.

She is a Miomantis caffra is now currently enjoying her cicada

I named her Florence


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## angelofdeathzz (Dec 7, 2010)

Welcome to the forum


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## Jesskb (Dec 7, 2010)

welcome


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## LauraMG (Dec 8, 2010)

Welcome welcome!  Sounds like Florence found herself a great home!


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## Rick (Dec 8, 2010)

Welcome


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 8, 2010)

Hi! nice name for her, glad u r here!


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## MantidLord (Dec 8, 2010)

Welcome! Wish it were summer here.


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## Penguin (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks guys :]

umm Im having a little problem with her though, it's quite hard to catch other food for her

but I haven't gone to the local pet shop yet for food.. so she ate half a fly this morning,

I gave her another and she's eaten it (i think) then I put in another today later on and she hasn't eaten

it.. also her eyes have turned red and she's a little slower.. Im worried


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## guapoalto049 (Dec 9, 2010)

Welcome Penguin!


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## PhilinYuma (Dec 9, 2010)

Welcome from Yuma Arizona, Penguin. Are you any particular species, BTW?

Your report is very interesting. I have only been on this forum for a cuppla years, but this is the first time that I have seen M. caffra mentioned. I would be very interested to know in which county you live. I guess that this South African invasive species was first observed in Aukland and then ND, but by 1990, it had been seen on Stewart Island. BTW, those of you who cackle about governmental restrictions on mantids, be aware that this invasive species has been spread by the sale of ooths. (Oh that's right, Superfreak mentioned that two years ago, I think). It stands a good chance of out competing the native species, O. novaezealandiae. Since that is the only native kiwi species, tough luck native mantids!

Is it becoming increasingly common by you? Perhaps you could tell us which county you live in? I shall make a red dot in my N.Z. species map!


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## Penguin (Dec 12, 2010)

Yes she is an immigrant lol, I live in New Zealand way up north, just 15 minutes

away from a place called Kaitaia :], originally from Nelson.

Actually I haven't seen any of my own countries mantid around just the competitive South African


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## PhilinYuma (Dec 13, 2010)

Penguin said:


> Yes she is an immigrant lol, I live in New Zealand way up north, just 15 minutes
> 
> away from a place called Kaitaia :], originally from Nelson.
> 
> Actually I haven't seen any of my own countries mantid around just the competitive South African


Thank you! I put my red dot in ND where most of the sightings have been. I hope that she lays you some nice, fertile ooths.You moved a long way from Nelson, didn't you! You mentioned a forest in your first post. Is that the Herekino Forest?


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## Jesskb (Dec 13, 2010)

wow the O. novaezealandiae is a really nice looking mantis. Are they in culture anywhere?


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## PhilinYuma (Dec 13, 2010)

Yes In the U.S.


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## Penguin (Dec 21, 2010)

No PhilinYuma, it is native bush on our land and because we own such a big piece of it it is like a whole ecosystem xD


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