# Eremiaphila



## Exotic-Mantis (May 27, 2006)

Hey,

Does anyone know anything about eremiaphila sp? I'm thinking about getting some nymphs. I hear they need really hot temps, like 100 F. Anyone have other info on them?

Thanks,

Eros


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## julian camilo (May 28, 2006)

i dont know much, but very high temperatures seems right. they are ground dwelling, and are quite stout and rounded, but with long thin legs. they make very sudden movements and are very fast. they dart around, as opposed to "walking", they just quickly dart somewhere, its very fast. completely still one moment, the next theyre off somewhere else. the high temperatures made it quite difficult to feed them, as i would throw a fruit fly into the container and it would die within seconds. however ususally the mantis would be munching it down within a split second of it landing in the enclosure (it didnt matter what it was, i sometimes fed it ants) so it wasnt a problem, it just meant i couldnt put more than one fruit fly in at a time, and tried to drop the fly in very near to the mantis. sometimes it wouldnt see it drop in and it would just die and not get eaten.

maybe i was keeping it too hot, but it seemed to be fine, and there were cooler areas of the container, but it wasnt always there, so obviously it didnt mind the hotter temperatures. it ate very very quickly. i never saw it moult, but there were no twigs or anything or anywhere to hang from (the container was shallow, with lots of ground space, no lid) and it moulted fine, so i assume it moults horizontally, backing out of its exoskeleton like i saw another mantis do once. at the time i hadnt read anything about how to look after them, but i kept it like i say in a shallow container, sand as substrate (mixed it with a tiny bit of gravel and with a few small pebbles around too, dont know why, i just thought a bit of variety was better then just lots of plain sand, but who knows?), a heat lamp above the container (mainly over half the container, so the whole thing didnt get too hot and for a gradient), and an area of shade from the lamp (a flat rock, it may have been slate or something, propped up by four larger pebblems, in case it got too hot).

so yeh im not saying this is how you should care for them or anything, im just saying thats how i did it and it seemed ok, and yeh thats all i know about the species. the one i had (a friend of mine let me look after one of his) died because i ran out of food and couldnt get any more (not a problem these days, but it was at the time) as opposed to bad conditions, so im assuming this way works fine. id love to keep them again but ive never seen them offered since. i reccommend you get them, theyre very interesting and different, i would forget they were mantids because they were so different to every other species ive kept. very interesting species.


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## chun (May 28, 2006)

here's a little caresheet me and julian composed back in the days..i managed to raise a L3 female nymph to an adult following these instructions/care guidance.

Tank : Because this mantid species spends all its life on the ground, it does not need to climb. Or, for that matter, is it able to climb very well. It has been adapted so be able to run fast, and its legs are quite long and thin. They are also spread far to the sides, allowing it to scatter along at high speeds, but not really climb. So, unlike with other mantids, floor space is the most crucial element. Height plays a very minor role, as the species cannot climb plastic very well, let alone smooth glass. They also do not need to hang to moult, as they do it horizontally. The height of the sides should be at least three up to four times the length of the mantis.

The tanks should be at least 20cm in length and 30 cm in width to prevent the adults from severe damaged tarsae and/or legs. . It is best to experiment, and watch to see if the mantis is able to scurry up the sides. Usually it is not able. It is not able to fly, even as adult. Since most containers built for keeping mantids or other invertebrates in are rectangular and almost cuboids, conventional containers are not really suitable for this species. Ideally, the container should have an open top, allowing as much light and heat to reach the mantis. Tried and tested containers include various types of tub, such as "Tupperware" tubs. Many food containers are also good habitats. In general, any flat shallow container is good, 20cm length and 30cm width is ample space for one mantis for all its life. It is not recommended that you keep these mantids together in groups.

Humidity : This species comes form deserts where rain comes every few or more decades, so humidity should be basically 0%. The mantids will get all the moisture and water they need from their food. Try to resist the urge to spray them like other mantids, never spray/mist the containers/mantids.

Temperature : This species does well with temperatures ranging from 30-65ºC.A temperature gradient is not an option but a must (Don´t forget they actively choose their optimum temperature which varies during the day and for each individual). Also the temperature should fall during the night to room temperature (20-22°C). , so that one area is at the lower end of the scale, and one area at the higher end. However, this is not at all necessary. The temperature in deserts at night is drastically colder than it is during the day. So, the mantis enclosure can drop to around 20-22ºC at night. Basically, the mantids should be OK without any extra heating at night.

Equipment : These mantids do not need any climbing apparatus such as branches or twigs as they are not very good at climbing on thin twigs. Also, to moult they do not need to hang, so twigs or branches are not needed, but may be put it for decoration, such as a dead branch protruding from the sand. Be careful the mantids cannot climb this and escape. As a substrate, there is not really much option other than sand. Children's play sand is best, or the sand sold for use with reptiles. If you mix in small amounts of gravel into the sand the mantis becomes more camouflaged, and gives the substrate a different texture. The habitat requires large pebbles where the mantis can rest on and "sunbathe". Flat rocks are also good for sunbathing. Also, a pile of large pebbles allows the mantis to hide in the nooks and spaces, or stay in the cooler shade. Another way to provide shade is to place 3-4 pebbles on the sand, then place a flat rock on top of them, leaving a space below. This affords the mantis a shaded and cooler retreat, and also if it goes on top, a place to sunbathe. Be careful the structure is secure and cannot collapse on the mantid, although this is unlikely with four pebbles. A heat lamp is the best piece of equipment for this species, as it provides large quantities of heat to a small area, and provides a large amount of light. Place the lamp as near to the enclosure as is necessary for it to be heated to the right level. In some cases, this means as little as 10cm above the mantis tank. Most thermometers for use with reptiles do not go up to 70ºC, although by placing the heat lamp very near to the mantis, and providing suitably cooler retreats, you can be sure the mantis will not be given life-threatening temperatures. No other equipment is needed.

Food : This mantis is not a sit-and-wait predator like many other mantids. It actively "hunts" prey, although there is not much hunting to be done, because it is so quick. Once the mantis spots a suitable sized moving object, it will run towards/after it, and grab it and immediately start munching. The mantis eats in a kind of saw-like way; bringing the food item further away from its thorax while munching, then back again. The food is devoured very quickly. As food, small insects can be used; fruit flies being a good staple diet because they contain quite a lot of water. Whereas with other mantids some insects like ants are unsuitable because they could attack the mantis, this species can take them. This is because the ant will have absolutely no time to even think about attacking after you have dropped it into the container. The insect does not know what has hit it. However, the big problem with feeding this species is most insects like fruit flies die about three seconds after you put them into the mantis tank, if it is heated to the correct temperature. However, if you drop the insect within around 20 cm radius of the mantis, and mostly in its sight, then there is no problem. This will mean feeding the mantis one insect at a time. A better way is to feed at dawn, just before you turn the lights on in the morning, or a while after you turn them off at night, once the sand and tank has cooled enough. Any small object that lands near to the mantis snatched up, even dead ones (although if you must do this, try and use only recently dead insects i.e. those which you have just dropped in and have died from heat after a few seconds).

Mating : About three weeks after the final moult both sexes are ready for mating. Females show (like many other mantids) a "pheromon blister". If female is ready for mating she will be quite peaceable and the male will not be damaged during copulation. Copulation itself seems to be very aggressive and is very fast (I couldn´t observe any copulation lasting longer than seven minutes). After this both mantids should be separated again.

Ootheca &amp; Hatchlings : One up to two oothecae are laid each ten days. The females enclosures must be prepared therefore with at least 5 cm of sand where the oothecae are burried in. During the night a temperature-shift to about 20°C (roomtemperature) is necessary. Nymphs are hatching sporadically so often only one up to four nymphs are hatching per day during the hatching period. The nymphs always hatch during the early morning (one to two hours) before temperature climbs up. The hatchlings should be dusted carefully (the one and only time in their life). They can be fed from the beginning with small fruitflies.


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## julian camilo (May 29, 2006)

ah i remember. just to mention, this is mostly from our own experience, with a bit of guesswork and assumption and some gaps filled in from other sources we could not experience (like ootheca), for the ease of having it one place. again, this is no guarantee of accuracy or anything, think of it as some ideas i guess.


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## jonpat83 (May 29, 2006)

Can I just ask, what is a pheromone blister?


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## julian camilo (May 30, 2006)

i dont know for sure (i didnt write that bit, and i cant remember where/who we got it from), but i am assuming its the gland used to release pheromones, best observed in acanthops for example when the female raises its wings and bulges out a black gland. im assuming thats the name given to this protruding gland, but i dont know for sure.


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## Exotic-Mantis (Jun 7, 2006)

Great guys. Thanks for the info!


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## rickyc666 (Jun 15, 2006)

That mantis sounds interesting. do you have any pictures of it?


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## Jwonni (Jun 22, 2006)

I dont have access to my hosting from work but here a are some links to pages on which i see this species so people can see what they look like

i dont think this would be a species for me too spider like

http://www.tolweb.org/Eremiaphila

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/desert/florafauna/sandbug.jpg

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/desert/florafauna/mantid.jpg

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expeditions/p...05/Pict0938.jpg

couldn't find the ones i spotted yesterday they were ona french mantid forum somewhere


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