# Enclosure



## novaz (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi

First off I wanted to say this forum is really helpful in answering some of my questions just by using the "Search" feature

I was given my Chinese Mantis as a nymph I think in a plastic peanut container with a couple of twigs inside.

The mantis has molted twice in 3 weeks and has been eating flys with no problem

having noted that they require around 3 times length size to molt I purchased a small critter tote size 10"*6"*4" it is the type that has the ventilated cover with slots around the periphary

i placed a good number of twigs running diagonally top to bottom and also some just vertically .

I taped off some of the vent slots to avoid losing the Feed Fly and now the mantis just seems to want to cling to the slots at the very top of the enclosure am i thinking in too human a thought process that it cant get enough air ,I did also add a small cricket which it has looked at but ignored , being new to this I am unsure if the mantis is L2 or L3 as i have not seen a newly hatched Nymph to judge the size.

Thanks for any guidance

Royz


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## Rick (Aug 8, 2010)

Most mantids hang from the lid. Be careful of too many twigs running underneath the mantis. During molting these can get in the way. Your mantis being at the very top is perfectly normal.


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## LauraMG (Aug 8, 2010)

Rick said:


> Most mantids hang from the lid. Be careful of too many twigs running underneath the mantis. During molting these can get in the way. Your mantis being at the very top is perfectly normal.


Only thing I would add would be maybe the nymph isn't ready for crickets. Mine won't ever take them until they were almost as large as the cricket itself. Until that point they would ignore them or run if they were approached.


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 8, 2010)

Some take right to them others don't and if it has molted twice, it is 3 or 4th instar!


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## novaz (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for the replies

I guess the mantis must have a wi-fi hot spot and seen my question as its now down on the twigs and eyeing the cricket ^_^


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## thorhack (Aug 9, 2010)

Sooo, the L1, L2, L3 stuff is just the molts? So 6 total to Adulthood? cool!

Although sometimes it sounds as if you people are spouting off Playstation cheats haha


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## LauraMG (Aug 9, 2010)

Swifthavok said:


> Sooo, the L1, L2, L3 stuff is just the molts? So 6 total to Adulthood? cool!


Yes, that's the number of molts they have had. Depending on the species it may vary how many it takes to get to adulthood, but not by much


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## anthonymantid (Aug 11, 2010)

so what does the L stand for? is there a thread with more specifics on moults? im just curious and havent exactly found anything in search.


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