# Desert Mantid?



## collinchang635 (Aug 13, 2008)

What is a desert mantid? How fierce is it and how big does it grow until? Can someone give a short description about this mantid?


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## Peter Clausen (Aug 13, 2008)

Could you be a little more specific about which mantis you are referring to? Lots of mantises live in the desert and could therefore be called Desert Mantises.

Maybe you could share your source for wherever you came across the term Desert Mantis. That might help.


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## Morpheus uk (Aug 13, 2008)

Cant remember how to spell it but eremphi-somthing?


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## Christian (Aug 13, 2008)

_Eremiaphila_?

Those are about 60 species of 3-5 cm, stout, tan to grey colored, longlegged, bachypterous desert or semi-desert runners that are rather aggressive and need temperatures about 35-60°C by day. Ooths are laid into the ground, nymphs hatch when triggered by moisture. Don't support fruit flies, have to be fed with firebrats, beetles, ants etc.


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## mrblue (Aug 13, 2008)

> Don't support fruit flies, have to be fed with firebrats, beetles, ants etc.


i thik this is where i went wrong &lt;_&lt;  

here is an older female (presubadult/subadult? i forget but as adult she had very small wings):







EDIT:



> i never got round to breeding this species as i ended up with an adult female and no males


ditto.


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## chun (Aug 13, 2008)

i never got round to breeding this species as i ended up with an adult female and no males back in 2002. Out of interest, how would you know when a female has laid an ootheca? because i wouldnt trust leaving the aggressive mother in with her newly hatched offsprings!


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## idolomantis (Aug 13, 2008)

well i noticed that when there done laying, there paper thin insteed of fat. my ameles was a little fatty. i saw my ameles being paper thin the other day. i looked around and found an ooth.


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## chun (Aug 13, 2008)

i know how an ootheca looks like, but Eremiaphila is different to other mantis. Eremiaphila oothecae are not "paper thin", please stick to the topic and not answer with irrelevant answers. These are ground dwellers, they moult on the ground and lay on the ground. I want to know whether this species laid on the surface of the sand or bury their ootheca in the sand.


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## mrblue (Aug 13, 2008)

i think idolomantis meant the females abdomen, in which case that may be a good way of telling (a sudden decrease in abdomen size). im pretty sure they lay them inside the sand, so as to where exactly the ootheca is would be a different question  i guess it wouldnt be so deeply buried so if you suspected one had been laid you could brush off the top layer of sand until you found it somewhere, just a guess though.


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## idolomantis (Aug 13, 2008)

i DID mean the females abdomen &lt;_&lt; i found that pretty obvious.

ofcourse the ooths doesnt resize.


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## chun (Aug 13, 2008)

Ah i see, sorry idolomantis for jumping so quickly to conclusions. It would be interesting to know if there's any cues to find an ootheca, saves having to physically having to find them.


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## idolomantis (Aug 13, 2008)

it,s okay


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## Christian (Aug 13, 2008)

The ooths are buried into the soil. Usually, you need an humidity gradient, so the female can choose the best place. I would leave the ooths there in place and remove the female after several ooths. The young hatch usually after a good moisture increase, and you also can synchronize the ooths somewhat by controlling humidity, but this requires some experience.


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## yen_saw (Aug 13, 2008)

Just wanna share some pics of this species. I too end up with only adult females. I fed them both fire brates and fruit flies.
















The ootheca from this species hatched 1 or 2 nymphs every other day for weeks.


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## mrblue (Aug 13, 2008)

ah i miss them so much! they were almost like keeping some type of predatory beetle as opposed to a mantis. i mean i know they still moulted etc but their looks and behaviour were so removed from other mantids, very refreshing and interesting!


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## mantidsandgeckos (Aug 14, 2008)

Are those big things oothecas?


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## collinchang635 (Aug 14, 2008)

So I suppose they are really fun to keep? They are really ferocious right? Are they really fast runners? Very active? I may buy this species. BTW what is a firebrat? Out of these mantids, which ones would you rate the most fun to keep:

African Mantid

Giant Asian Mantid

Desert Mantid


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## yen_saw (Aug 14, 2008)

friendofgeckos said:


> Are those big things oothecas?


Yep, it is covered with sand.



I Like Mantis said:


> So I suppose they are really fun to keep? They are really ferocious right? Are they really fast runners? Very active? I may buy this species. BTW what is a firebrat? Out of these mantids, which ones would you rate the most fun to keep:African Mantid
> 
> Giant Asian Mantid
> 
> Desert Mantid


They are fun to keep but need lot of effort. THis species needs plenty of floor space and cannot climb smooth surface but capable of jumping, also needing high temperature of 40-50C(smaller nymphs required less heat) to stay healthy. Very aggressive towards food and move very fast as you mentioned. FIrebrat appear to be like silver fish (book worm).


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## collinchang635 (Aug 14, 2008)

yen_saw said:


> This species needs plenty of floor space and cannot climb smooth surface but capable of jumping, also needing high temperature of 40-50C(smaller nymphs required less heat) to stay healthy. Very aggressive towards food and move very fast as you mentioned.


Do they need a lower temperature at night?


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## Christian (Aug 14, 2008)

Of course, as every mantid.


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## The_Asa (Aug 14, 2008)

You should probably raise an easier species before you try these out.


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## Andrew (Aug 14, 2008)

The_Asa said:


> You should probably raise an easier species before you try these out.


Assuming he could actually find any for sale. &lt;_&lt;


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## The_Asa (Aug 14, 2008)

Yeah &lt;_&lt; It's been years since I've seen any of these available...


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## collinchang635 (Aug 14, 2008)

So would an african mantid or a giant asian be better for me?


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## The_Asa (Aug 14, 2008)

*sigh* my recommendation is to get an African mantis


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## collinchang635 (Aug 15, 2008)

The_Asa said:


> *sigh* my recommendation is to get an African mantis


How much would the average price of a L1 or L2 nymph cost?


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## mrblue (Aug 15, 2008)

nevermind.


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## idolomantis (Aug 15, 2008)

I Like Mantis said:


> How much would the average price of a L1 or L2 nymph cost?


go out in there in the fores and try to find a hierodula


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## mantidsandgeckos (Aug 16, 2008)

Found a type of boxer mantis today at the forest!!!!!       BUT IT FLEW AWAY :angry: :angry:


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## collinchang635 (Aug 16, 2008)

friendofgeckos said:


> Found a type of boxer mantis today at the forest!!!!!       BUT IT FLEW AWAY :angry: :angry:


Shi Wei, when did you go to the forest?


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