# New guy from So-Cal



## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

Hello! I’m MrGhostMantis and as you can probably tell by my name, I love mantids!              
        
I only got into the hobby in mid-June when I got my hands on a wonderful little Tendora Sinensis. I named him Cricket. He was lovely and everyday I would take him out and spend time with him and feed him. After a few weeks he molted! I was so exited until he became lethargic. He soon died after. I was DEVASTATED! But the bug had bitten. I LOVED mantids! At the moment I have a mature female Phyllocrania Paradoxa and a soon to molt male. I received these two as L4 nymphs and love them to bits! They are going strong along with my 4 L5-6-7 Giant Asian mantids. I would like to learn more about all mantids and anyone who will respond can give me tips and recommendations to mantids I could get in the future. All mantids are here for our enjoyment and love.

Love,

MrGhostMantis


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

Nobody even said hi.


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## Synapze (Nov 27, 2019)

Welcome to the forum.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 27, 2019)

Hi! 

Glad to see someone else my age on here! I saw in another thread you said you were 13? I'm 14. 

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis (Nov 27, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Nobody even said hi.


Dude, im sorry. You joined overnight. LOL!.

Welcome to the forum! Glad youre with us!


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## hibiscusmile (Nov 27, 2019)

Happy bug keeping!


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

Thanks everyone! I was being sarcastic lol. Yes, @MantisGirl13, I am 13. I’m young for my grade; 8th. Any recommendations to what mantids should come next? I’m getting some orchids in the next month or so. Sorry I pulled an overnighted with my mantids to catch moths for THEIR Thanksgiving feast.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

Here are a few more of my critters.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

My accidental picking up of my heavy pre-molt tarantula shook me.


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 27, 2019)

Welcome  

cute picture with your 4 mantids together.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

Thanks! They are all so friendly!


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 27, 2019)

Your mantids and spiders are beautiful! Orchids are great, and I'd say take whatever you can get your hands on for a good price. That's what I do. Lol

- MantisGirl13


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

The thing is my parents are getting frustrated with buying all the supplies for my mantids so I need to cool down. Once I start selling nymphs I will pay them back and start buying my own mantids. Do you have any care tips on orchids?


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## Evan Bulcao (Nov 27, 2019)

Glad you joined, take a look through the care sheet page. It's very helpful!!


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 27, 2019)

I did! It really helped!


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 28, 2019)

Anyone have personal care tips with orchids? I would really appreciate them. I’m so worried I would kill them!


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## hysteresis (Nov 28, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Anyone have personal care tips with orchids? I would really appreciate them. I’m so worried I would kill them!


Yeh. Soaking them is the fasted route to death. Wetness and humidity are different things. My recommendation is that you apply your 'humidity' water into the substrate. On top of that, and depending on how dry it is where you live, maybe spray the insides of the cup twice a day - morning, and then at night. That's just so they drink. The humidity should mainly come from the substrate. Humidity should probably be highest at night. .

Also, about tall glass enclosures. People like them because they look great with orchids, but without cross-ventilation, your orchid will have a hard time getting air. My rule of thumb is that the enclosure depth should be no more than twice the 'mouth' width. Beyond that, you'll want to install cross vents, and that wont happen in a glass enclosure.

While many keep their orchids alive at room temp, I recommend a daytime minimum of 75 or 76.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 28, 2019)

I'm getting 2 males and 1 female and I was told the males should be kept at room temperature and females kept in a container with heat mats on the side. Temperature should be kept around 85* and humidity levels around 80%.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 28, 2019)

Humidity does not need to be that high. Spray heavily once or twice a day depending on the ventilation in the cage, and that's it. Humidity also doesn't have to he constant. Your female can be kept around 80-85°, hotter than that is pushing it.

- MantisGirl13


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 28, 2019)

How high should humidity be then? I’m so worried I’m going to end up killing them! They are so expensive that it would be like throwing a gold bar from a cliff.


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## hysteresis (Nov 28, 2019)

My go-to care sheets say 50-60pct:  https://www.mantidsandmore.com/lexicon/hymenopus-coronatus/

I just mist mine morning and night (and sometimes only once). Depends on how dry it is at home.

My females stay maybe 76degF. Im raising various hatches now, so I don't worry about timing the males much anymore. I have nymphs from each ooth.


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## hysteresis (Nov 28, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> They are so expensive that it would be like throwing a gold bar from a cliff.


How much did you get gouged for? LOL?


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 28, 2019)

I’m actually trading for them. A ghost ooth for 3-4.


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## hysteresis (Nov 29, 2019)

Good deal then. Ghosts are such prolific ooth producers. I sold some ooths for $25USD. So 3 to 4 orchids for $25USD? Sweet!


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 29, 2019)

Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. @Evan Bulcao is trading them to me. I’m waiting on my male to molt, then breeding will start. He won’t be living with my female after that. They get voracious. Any ghost ooth tips? These are my first ghosts too.


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## hysteresis (Nov 29, 2019)

Feed the female well, and they'll mate themselves. I've done ghosts twice, and it was literally the easiest mating i've ever done.

The hardest was Deroplatys lobata.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 29, 2019)

Why was Deroplatys lobata so hard?


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## hysteresis (Nov 29, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Why was Deroplatys lobata so hard?


I lost all males to cannibalism. One was successful with my 1st female, but was taken by the 2nd female who remains unmated.


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 29, 2019)

Ouch. That would hurt. Everyone talks about the males like tools and don’t mind if they die. I love them all equally. What other species do you have?


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## MrGhostMantis (Nov 30, 2019)

Can someone explain to me what a ‘slipped molt’ is? @mantisfan101 thinks my male ghost has that going for him and I’m panicking!


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## Endorlado (Dec 2, 2019)

hello


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## MrGhostMantis (Dec 4, 2019)

Mandarin my girly ghost saying hi!


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## MantisGirl13 (Dec 5, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Mandarin my girly ghost saying hi!
> 
> View attachment 12765


Pretty girl!

- MantisGirl13


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## MrGhostMantis (Dec 5, 2019)

Thanks! Did you check out my new stream “My mantid history” is what I think it is called lol.


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## MantisGirl13 (Dec 5, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Can someone explain to me what a ‘slipped molt’ is? @mantisfan101 thinks my male ghost has that going for him and I’m panicking!


If you mean a skipped molt, it's nothing to worry about. That just means he's growing fast. If he had Peter Pan syndrome, which is where the mantis refuses to molt, then I'd be worried. 

- MantisGirl13


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## MantisGirl13 (Dec 5, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Thanks! Did you check out my new stream “My mantid history” is what I think it is called lol.


Ya, I did!

- MantisGirl13


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## MrGhostMantis (Dec 5, 2019)

Thanks! I hope more people check it out! I will do weekly updates if people actually pay attention to it.


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## hysteresis (Dec 6, 2019)

MrGhostMantis said:


> Thanks! I hope more people check it out! I will do weekly updates if people actually pay attention to it.


I did "The Molt Repolt" for a bit.

This is fun.


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## MrGhostMantis (Dec 6, 2019)

@hysteresis did you check it out yet?

Edit:Just saw you did xD


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