# My New (European?) Mantis!!



## Wallace Grover (Sep 27, 2010)

Hello, after learning the viv is probably not causing my allergies, I brought it back inside and so far so good. Just by chance I happened to spot this guy today and thought he would be mine:

















He has tried to get to the light and fell onto the leaf litter once, and onto his perching spot once, so hope he's okay. He is about 2 1/2-3"

Anyways, I have some questions:

Is he a euro or chinese?

Does he look healthy? (is it even a he for that matter)

and, are pet store crickets ok to feed him?

PS: For some akward reason the name Herbert popped into my head, so yeah, his name is Herbert...


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## ismart (Sep 27, 2010)

What you have there is an adult female _Stagmomantis carolina_ She looks healthy. Store bought crickets should be fine. Just make sure the crickets are fed with healthy foods.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 27, 2010)

welcome, good find you got there!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 27, 2010)

Woo, I'm so happy to hear that! It's the species I actually originally wanted (since it's one of the few native mantids!!)


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## LauraMG (Sep 27, 2010)

Nice find! She looks happy!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 27, 2010)

Is she probably fairly old?


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## ismart (Sep 27, 2010)

You might be able to get a few more months out of her? And possibly some ooths!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 27, 2010)

Hmm, I'm a bit worried about her. She has fallen twice from about 1 foot, 1 1/2 feet, and 1 1/2 feet (2 on the leaf litter, which was no big deal, but once on a sharp pince cone). So i took the pinecones out. She is still moving around, now she's halfway up her perch. Is this a big deal?


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## Seattle79 (Sep 28, 2010)

I assume you are one of Lady Gaga's "Little Monters"....... Great looking Mantis you got there.


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## Rick (Sep 28, 2010)

Falling is a bad sign. This time of year depending on your location she is most likely an old woman.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 28, 2010)

she only falls on the glass.

she would not accept a live small green grasshopper on tweezers. any other feedung techniques?


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## LauraMG (Sep 28, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> she would not accept a live small green grasshopper on tweezers. any other feedung techniques?


Sometimes I can get one to start eating if I force feed the drumstick of a hopper or cricket to them first. She may just not wanna take food from tweezers though, some of mine won't take food from tongs


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 28, 2010)

Hurray, she finally ate!! I hade to hold its abdomen right up to her mouth, she nibbled at it a bit the several times I did it, and finally grabbed it. I'm a bit worried about water, I mist her cage every day and there is visible water droplets on the leaves, but I never see her really "drink" it.

PS: How many times a week should I be feeding prey items around this size?

The victim:






Om nom nom


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## LauraMG (Sep 28, 2010)

Probably every other day, maybe every third. That's a good size but females can certainly put back a heck of a lot of food! That hopper was alive when you gave it to her wasn't it? Seems like an obvious question, but if it wasn't moving it might explain why she wouldn't go for it. You may have more success with a moth. Flying things always seem to really get them going!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 28, 2010)

I offered it to her when it was alive, but after several tries she would not eat it and it was squeezed to death by the tweezers. She took it dead...


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## LauraMG (Sep 28, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> I offered it to her when it was alive, but after several tries she would not eat it and it was squeezed to death by the tweezers. She took it dead...


Strange. If she looks really fat, she may be preparing to lay, in which case she wouldn't eat much.


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 29, 2010)

I wouldn't worry too much about her drinking the water. My female Carolina hardly ever drinks, but my male drinks almost every time I mist.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 29, 2010)

I just put a live grass hopper in the cage. ( I was thinking I would have to retrieve it tomorrow and hand feed her)

2 Hours later I find her munching on it...

PS: I was trying to get her to sit on my hand and she feel into the leaf litter skittering away in fear. Does falling itself actually hurt them, if it's on something like leaf litter?


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## 4upakabra (Sep 29, 2010)

Magaling terrarium. Good mantids. Congratulations


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 29, 2010)

I haven't had a problem with mine falling. I have only had my male Carolina fall a couple of inches to the bottom of his container. He looked dead for a minute, it was his intention to fall, so it did nothing but frighten the heck out of me! :lol: I wouldn't attempt to handle the female if she is fat. I have heard of a person letting one fall and she ended up bursting.  I actually don't handle my Carolina female unless I have to. She seems too frightened, and can run up my arm surprisingly fast. My male Carolina and my Chinese mantids don't mind coming out at all, but that is probably because I raised the male Carolina from about L2, and the Chinese from when they hatched. I could imagine that handling can be very stressfull for any wild creatures.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 29, 2010)

likebugs said:


> I haven't had a problem with mine falling. I have only had my male Carolina fall a couple of inches to the bottom of his container. He looked dead for a minute, it was his intention to fall, so it did nothing but frighten the heck out of me! :lol: I wouldn't attempt to handle the female if she is fat. I have heard of a person letting one fall and she ended up bursting.  I actually don't handle my Carolina female unless I have to. She seems too frightened, and can run up my arm surprisingly fast. My male Carolina and my Chinese mantids don't mind coming out at all, but that is probably because I raised the male Carolina from about L2, and the Chinese from when they hatched. I could imagine that handling can be very stressfull for any wild creatures.


Why, thank you 4upakabra!!

@likebugs: she only falls when climbing the glass or when my hand goes in the tank and she runs for cover, so hopefully its not too big of an issue.

Do you think it would hurt her if I offered live grasshoppers around that size every day?


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 30, 2010)

I don't think that it would be a problem to attempt to feed her every day. If she doesn't want it then she won't eat it. If an unwanted hopper is jumping around and bothering my mantids, I simply remove it so they won't be stressed or annoyed.  I do like to offer moths, flies, and roaches, if I can catch them. I personally wouldn't want to eat the same food, day after day. :mellow: Sometimes, when I don't have the time to catch anything, my mantids get only roaches for a few days in a row.  At least they seem to like them.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 30, 2010)

Hmmm, I am relieved to hear that. She has had a thumbnail sized grasshopper the past 3 days. Will try and offer something new Saturday, maybe even a baby gecko if I can catch one...


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## Wallace Grover (Oct 6, 2010)

Hurray, Ooths are in the house!! (notice Herbert eating in the background after her hard work)







I know I'm not supposed to directly spray it, but would it be a bad idea to not move the ooth?


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## LauraMG (Oct 6, 2010)

You can move it after a couple of days, very carefully. Good luck incubating!


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## Wallace Grover (Oct 19, 2010)

Some great new pictures up!!!


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