# Communal Mantids?



## sbugir (Oct 1, 2009)

Hello,

I've recently built some pretty nice 12x12x16 mantis enclosures, and I'd really like to get some communal mantids. I'm wondering what mantids can be kept in the same enclosure.

UPDATED List:

Creobroter sp.

Egyptian Mantis

Long Neck mantis

Boxers sp.

Gambian Spotted Eye

Ghost Mantis

Violin Mantis

Cryptic Mantis

Brunner's Mantis

Can be kept communally.

Thanks.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2009)

Those two work really good together, but really until adult most with plenty of food do good too. The peacock is also another good one and so is the long necks!


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## massaman (Oct 1, 2009)

gambians can be if there is enough to eat and egyptians can be kept together too i think but the sexes need to be in different enclosures and the creobroters can be kept together for then in different accomodations after like l3-l4 and there is no real communal species as they all have some level of cannibalisation to a extent!


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## sbugir (Oct 1, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> Those two work really good together, but really until adult most with plenty of food do good too. The peacock is also another good one and so is the long necks!


You don't have peacocks or long necks on your website do you? I've never seen a peacock mantis


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2009)

I have pics of both on the site, but the long neck photo is old I think and not mine, the peacock is under Pseudoempusa Pinnapavonis and the long neck is actually under Euchomonella Macrops. The peacocks are suppossed to me mating right now, and the macrops are in stock, either is a big mantis and both gentle as babies.


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## mantidsaresweet (Oct 1, 2009)

Is it possible to keep 2 different communal species together?

In example ghosts and violins in the same enclosure.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2009)

I am the ultimate lazy woman, sitting here while u ask 4 a pic and all I have to do is get up and take one. Sorry, but here are two I just took, the long neck has a baby in the pic with her, do u see it? It is one of the mystery mantis that hangs out on my fake plant, only no mystery here, it is one of the long neck babies that escaped and I left it there for the fun of it, also there are three other tiny babies on the plant too, but I digress... haha, so here she is what do u think of her? She has a tiny saddle ( what I call their wings) males are much smaller and have full wings (saddle)!












ps she was looking around with her big eyes wondering why they still had lights on at 10 pm when they should of been in bed! :lol: I told her so they could watch late night tv! &lt;_&lt; B)


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## d17oug18 (Oct 1, 2009)

yeah my creobroters are really good together, they are 90% of the time facing each other in a circle, never liking to leave each others side. I found that interesting. The ghosts as ive expierenced are heavy HEAVY eaters and if they get to hungery or not challenged by there food, theyll eat each other. Violins stay super close, like to close for comfort, and they dont hunt, if there hungery and the food doesnt come to them, they will not chase it down. Miomantis is an ok species, but they need there own space, if you crowd them, they will create there own crowd control. Ive kept them in a 12x12 cage(around 20-30) without any cannabalism, when i seperated them into cups, around 3-5 in each cup, they became wildly annoyed and ate each other until only 2-3 where left. E.P. Boxers(purple wing) are ok too, they dont eat each other at all unless food is very scarce but they too, like there space, they need to stay apart from each other and if one doesnt, theyll just jump(or fly, if adult) away. My favorite, the Unicorn Boxer Mantis, is pretty awesome around each other. They have to be pretty much flat stomached to go for a sibling, ive seen it once and that was when i was first starting and ran out of food, and one snatched another right after shedding. So far thats all i know for the species that are communal, ive kept all of these together(male and female mixed), and if you follow these guide lines there should be little to no cannabalism. Also know that you should only follow what ive said with only the species talked about, i tryed keeping other species together and no matter what theyll eat each other just cuase lol. well thats my 2 cents.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2009)

Heres one of her face, I wanted to show her eyes!


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2009)

I don't recommend keeping two different species together, one they will be stressed out by each other and two, more than likely will kill each other.


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## massaman (Oct 1, 2009)

well I do happen to have 2 l1 nebulosa nymphs in the same cube cage with some egyptian l1 and and a few l3 nymphs and so far the nebulosa nymphs are still alive but making sure they get plenty to eat and got a self made enclosure with some giant asians in it so making sure they get enough food as well!


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## sbugir (Oct 1, 2009)

Thanks Doug, great info. Hibiscus, the long neck is beautiful, but might i add I am a bit blind and didn't see the baby  . You're saying they live communally? I won't lie, i though something that big would kill something  .

Man, I'd love violins, but im not too experienced  .


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## d17oug18 (Oct 1, 2009)

there really not as hard as people say, get a heat source and lots of food(LOTS of food). and theyll be ok, i turn my heat lamps off at night and if its a hot day i wont even turn it on, other than that and humidity which is easily taken care of. Its just that simple, try taking care of some kind of boxer, there tropical and need similar care, not as hot, and if you can take them on, then you can take care of violins. There so pretty when small and so verocious when grown.


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## sbugir (Oct 2, 2009)

Maybe I'll get some Violins when i get a good heat lamp... Either way, I just want to get something communal


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## bassist (Oct 2, 2009)

If you go with _Gongylus _you'll need a lot of flies.


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## Opivy (Oct 2, 2009)

how much heat do they really need? Here in So.Cal the weather is bipolar, but some days it gets in the 100's. Is this not sufficient?


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## bassist (Oct 2, 2009)

Opivy said:


> how much heat do they really need? Here in So.Cal the weather is bipolar, but some days it gets in the 100's. Is this not sufficient?


They need between 86-104 degrees.

On the subject of this thread there are no communal mantids just those who do better around others. Since you're asking for any mantids that can be kept together _Idolomantis diabolica_ is another.


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## MantisFreak (Oct 2, 2009)

bassist said:


> They need between 86-104 degrees.On the subject of this thread there are no communal mantids just those who do better around others. Since you're asking for any mantids that can be kept together _Idolomantis diabolica_ is another.


I have to agree, communal living would be hunting, sleeping and interacting together...some species seem to tolerate being in closer proximity to each other if food is plenty and often.

I think Gongylus gongylodes are the most tolerant then probably Phyllocrania paradoxa! The latter of the two cannibalizes more freely though and usually when a cage mate is moulting...

Most accidents happen though with females..they're usually more voracious and eat more than males, especially if sexual dimorphism is apparent! Bigger females usually wont hesitate to feed on smaller flying males! Good luck with the species you go with


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## Rick (Oct 2, 2009)

I had ok success with the miomantis p. but they will still eat each other. I am sure that applies to most species so don't go into this thinking it will never happen. Brunners mantis is another one you can add to the list.


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## sbugir (Oct 2, 2009)

So, if i were to get some ghosties or violin mantids, how many could i fit into a 12x12x16 comfortably?


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## massaman (Oct 2, 2009)

not many being alot of people say you need very large enclosures mostly screen for those types of insects being they are not designed for non screen cages or as such and there is alot more to it then that to raise those species but I am not skilled at that and have no desire to raise those kinds which would require like a manual so to speak on exactly the dos and donts of raising these species flawlessly!


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## d17oug18 (Oct 2, 2009)

i would say like 2-4 brunners, 4-6 violins, 6-10 ghosts, 10-30 miomantis, 30-50 boxers.

Im sure people have better numbers though.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 2, 2009)

Well! Dear me! I would say two to three would be good of most species and for the 1" species, maybe a dozen.

Doug how many violins do you have?


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## [email protected] (Oct 2, 2009)

[SIZE=14pt]well you can add Sibylla pretiosa to the list they live well in a 12"x12"x12" exo terra cube thats planted, they are cute little but wavers that dance around inside there house, unlike all the upside down mantids that just hang upside down most of the time.[/SIZE]


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## sbugir (Oct 2, 2009)

Massaman, I use a nylon mesh small enough to hold D. melanogaster. Thank-you ArkBlue for the contribution, and thanks Doug and Hibiscus for the numbers. I'm thinking about ghost mantids or cryptic mantids. Gotta do some more research


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## d17oug18 (Oct 3, 2009)

i only have like 25 or less i got an old female so she died shortly after making 2 ooths


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## sbugir (Oct 3, 2009)

d17oug18 said:


> i only have like 25 or less i got an old female so she died shortly after making 2 ooths


Cyrptic or ghosts? And I'm sorry about the loss


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## d17oug18 (Oct 3, 2009)

Violin mantis nymphs. Yeah, traded alot to get them and i got 2 adults that where falling apart when i got them(i was told they where fresh adults)


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## sbugir (Oct 3, 2009)

Hey, are Texas/Arizona Unicorn Mantids communal? They look friendly


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## ABbuggin (Oct 5, 2009)

_Sybilla pretosia_ can be kept together when young, but at L4 and up, I reccomend separating them.

As for how many _gongylus_ in a 12x12x16 cage, it depends on their age. I would say 3-4 adult females max in that size of a cage. Of course, smaller nymphs means you can keep much more in there.

Oh, _Empusa, pennata_, _Schizocephala, bicornis_ and the _deroplatys _can be kept together (I do).


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## kitkat39 (Feb 25, 2010)

lemmiwinks said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've recently built some pretty nice 12x12x16 mantis enclosures, and I'd really like to get some communal mantids. I'm wondering what mantids can be kept in the same enclosure.
> 
> ...


You basically gave me the list that I was looking for! =D


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