# So I have a mantid...



## Tomato (Jul 1, 2010)

Alright, lemme lay out the story here.

A month or two ago, I was awoken by a sharp, stinging pain on my shoulder, just above my armpit. I batted at the area as a reflex. Looked at the time. 2:30am. What was that?! I turned on the light and saw the culprit on my bed: a yellow sac spider, Cheiracanthium mildei. I cleaned and iced the bite and, on a whim, decided to keep the spider. Why not? I put it in a little plastic jar and fed it carpet beetles, which it seemed to like (ignored a sow bug I threw in there).

Ok why is this relevant?

Well, two nights ago, I check on my little yellow sac spider and see that she's got company: a small mantis. I can see the molt still stuck to the side of the jar. Where this mantis came from, how it got into the jar, and why are and always will be deep mysteries to me. But it seemed like a cooler pet that the spider that bit me, so I let the spider go and moved the mantis to a larger and cleaner glass jar. I threw a few sticks in there for him to hang on (I think it's a male) but he seems to prefer the glass sides or the underside of the lid. I caught a leafhopper which he immediately grabbed and devoured. It was fun to watch, so I went outside to find him some dessert. Another leafhopper, a leafhopper nymph, some little gnats, a small moth or two, a tiny beetle--he hasn't touched any of them. Could it be that he's not hungry anymore? But it's been hours...

So I've included some pictures of the jar I've got him in now. I'd like to get some dirt, or pebbles to sprinkle in there also at some point. The white thing is a little wad of tissue paper soaked in water to maintain some humidity. Is this about right? What kind of housing should I make for him?







The penny is for scale. What I did was, I cut a big opening in the lid and taped one ply of tissue paper over it. When I have time, I plan on doing a neater job with a dremel, and using some kind of mesh like panty hoes or some such instead of tissue paper.






sorry about the grubby finger prints :blush: There he is, licking his claw or whatever it is that mantids do. I assume this is a religiosa because of my location (southeastern NY, suburbs of New York City).






Who knows what he's up to. I wish he'd eat some more. I thought mantids are supposed to eat voraciously at this stage in their lives. Maybe the prey I brought for him are too big? Almost all of the little bugs I put in there are still alive, but most of them aren't moving much anymore. Will he only eat something that moves?

I'd like to raise this guy. I read they can live for a year. Any info/pointers are much appreciated!

-Tomato


----------



## lancaster1313 (Jul 1, 2010)

It looks like a mantispid to me. It is really cool, as I have never seen one in real life. Are those wings? I am sure there will be someone along to help with ID. That is cool, but I think that it is not a mantid.


----------



## Tomato (Jul 1, 2010)

likebugs said:


> It looks like a mantispid to me. It is really cool, as I have never seen one in real life. Are those wings? I am sure there will be someone along to help with ID. That is cool, but I think that it is not a mantid.


Wow you are right. I didn't know about "mantispids." I just did a quick google search on them. That is definitely what I have. Yes, they're wings. I am not sure of the species though. It also explains how the thing got into my jar, as apparently, some mantispid species board spiders as larvae. When the spider spins an egg sac, the larvae burrows into the sac and feeds off the eggs. I guess this one got a ride on that yellow sac spider.

Well, that's kinda cool, but also a little disappointing, as I was all excited to have a pet mantis :lol: Well I'll keep feeding this thing, and see where it takes me.

-Tomato


----------



## lancaster1313 (Jul 1, 2010)

I think that it is pretty cool that you found one. I don't remember ever seeing one in person. I could do without the spider bite, I have had one of those and I didn't even know it until a nurse at the doctors office told me. It never hurt, but I still have a scar. Those spiders can be sneaky. :lol: I thought that I had skin cancer. LOL!


----------



## PhilinYuma (Jul 1, 2010)

Sounds as if you are doing pretty well from the word go, Tom. If I understand you correctly, he molted two days ago. If so, he may go for several more days before starting to eat regularly. I think that he just ate the leaf hopper to show that he appreciated your kindness.

I'd suggest that you fold up a sheet of paper towel and place in the bottom of the jar and moisten it with a spritzer once a day. Be aware, though, that crawly insects like carpet beetles and and hoppers like to hide under the towel or in gravel or dirt if you use them. Most of us don't use soil/gravel because it can introduce its own fauna.

Since you've cut a hole in the plastic lid, you might want to hot glue a piece of window screening over it. It is tougher than the panty hose, though I use that for some gadgets.

The rule of thumb for the size of an enclosure is that it be twice as wide and three times as high as the length of the mantis, since it usually molts hanging from the lid or twig, which you have already cleverly supplied. If you are using a 32oz pot, the kind that many of us use, the height is about 51/2".

An inexpensive, handy-dandy book on raising mantids, _Praying mantids: Keeping Aliens_ by Orin McMonigle, one of our admins, can be found here: http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/browse1.htm. A lot of forum members got started with this.

I think that you will do splendidly!


----------



## Rick (Jul 1, 2010)

Yep, not a mantis. Neat little critter though.


----------



## ismart (Jul 1, 2010)

Wow! cool mantidfly. I have ever only seen one of these here in the bronx.


----------



## more_rayne (Jul 1, 2010)

If that wad of tissue is soaked in water, I'd think it would prevent air flow in and out of the jar. Do as suggested and put wet tissue inside, and use something breathable on the lid. Cool bug, never seen one of these in person.


----------



## Tomato (Jul 1, 2010)

Thanks for all the pointers, guys.

So Sensei (that's his name now) measures about 20mm in length at this point. According to wikipedia, there are mantidfly species that can reach nearly 50mm, so I guess I can expect him to get a little bigger if cared for properly.



> If I understand you correctly, he molted two days ago. If so, he may go for several more days before starting to eat regularly. I think that he just ate the leaf hopper to show that he appreciated your kindness.


Well what happened was, I fed him that leafhopper and he grabbed within seconds. I brought him a leafhopper nymph after that, and he made at least 3 attempts to catch it, but it got away each time. He hasn't seemed too interested in any of the other prey that I've brought him since. Doesn't look like he's starving though, as he's moving around and flexing his claws and generally seems vigorous.



> Since you've cut a hole in the plastic lid, you might want to hot glue a piece of window screening over it.


Ah yes window screening is a good idea. The lid itself is metal though, not plastic. That shouldn't be a problem, should it? It's a jam jar, so the underside of the lid is coated in plastic.



> If that wad of tissue is soaked in water, I'd think it would prevent air flow in and out of the jar. Do as suggested and put wet tissue inside, and use something breathable on the lid. Cool bug, never seen one of these in person.


Well, the tissue paper cover the jar isn't wet, but the little clump of tissue paper inside the jar is wet. A moistened padding of tissue paper seems to be a better idea though. How do I spritz it without getting Sensei wet? I'd hate for him to start growing mould..



> Wow! cool mantidfly. I have ever only seen one of these here in the bronx.


You're in the Bronx? I'm in Hastings. Yeah I have never seen a bug like this before either. It's a pretty interesting creature.

-Tomato


----------



## ismart (Jul 1, 2010)

Tomato said:


> You're in the Bronx? I'm in Hastings. Yeah I have never seen a bug like this before either. It's a pretty interesting creature.
> 
> -Tomato


Yes, i live in the Pelhambay area of the bronx. Close to the park. You live in Hastings long island?

They are pretty cool insects! The one i found was dead. It got caught in a mosquito trap.  It was a bright green!


----------



## Tomato (Jul 1, 2010)

ismart said:


> Yes, i live in the Pelhambay area of the bronx. Close to the park. You live in Hastings long island?
> 
> They are pretty cool insects! The one i found was dead. It got caught in a mosquito trap.  It was a bright green!


Nah, Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester. Pelham bay is nice though, I make it out to Orchard Beach/the bird sanctuary there from time to time.

-Tomato


----------



## PhilinYuma (Jul 1, 2010)

Ha, ha! Sunny is always telling me that I need new glasses; maybe she's right!

The only significant difference that this makes is that since mantids have a complete metamorphosis (holometabolism),

he's already an adult and not going to get any larger!  

But after such a great start, we'll have to find you a real mantis.


----------



## ismart (Jul 1, 2010)

Tomato said:


> Nah, Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester. Pelham bay is nice though, I make it out to Orchard Beach/the bird sanctuary there from time to time.-Tomato


Ahh Westchester! Your pretty close to me. Next time you plan on going to Orchard beach? Shoot me a PM. I know plenty of places in pelhambay park to find wild chinese mantids.


----------



## Tomato (Jul 1, 2010)

PhilinYuma said:


> Ha, ha! Sunny is always telling me that I need new glasses; maybe she's right!
> 
> The only significant difference that this makes is that since mantids have a complete metamorphosis (holometabolism),
> 
> ...


Well, even if he is already an adult, I'm hoping I can at least fatten up that abdomen a little! I just left a plastic bottle out with some over-ripe banana bits in there. Should snag me a nice fruitfly catch. Anything else I should be feeding him?



> Ahh Westchester! Your pretty close to me. Next time you plan on going to Orchard beach? Shoot me a PM. I know plenty of places in pelhambay park to find wild chinese mantids.


Sounds great! I'm a little swamped these days, but that sounds like fun! Will do.

-Tomato


----------



## hibiscusmile (Jul 1, 2010)

Huh! go figure, U would find one, never seen one either, but it really is interesting little thing, so weird to have something so close to a mantis but so far away


----------

