# Hi from San Diego



## Opivy (Jun 28, 2009)

Hi everyone, I've been wanting to keep a mantis for quite a while now and was very happy to find this forum.

I had a mantis years ago, that I had found myself. It was an adult, but was eventually killed(?) very strange story. I would keep a large amount of crickets in with the fella, and one day - I found him decapitated. He was completely taken apart!

Anyways, I never knew keeping mantids required so much in depth knowledge. I've been reading through threads and gaining knowledge, but I still have a few questions.

I'm looking to order a mantis soon and I'm not sure which to get as some require more care than others.

Also looking at www.mantisplace.com I noticed some say "Nymphs available" , "L3 instar" etc. and some don't have a description or label at all. How old will the mantis be that I order?

I'm hesitant to get a nymph, as they seem to be more tedious to keep alive - and I have no knowledge of molting.

Looking back over this, I have a lack of question marks - but I will appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance,


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## beckyl92 (Jun 28, 2009)

Opivy said:


> Hi everyone, I've been wanting to keep a mantis for quite a while now and was very happy to find this forum.I had a mantis years ago, that I had found myself. It was an adult, but was eventually killed(?) very strange story. I would keep a large amount of crickets in with the fella, and one day - I found him decapitated. He was completely taken apart!
> 
> Anyways, I never knew keeping mantids required so much in depth knowledge. I've been reading through threads and gaining knowledge, but I still have a few questions.
> 
> ...


a newborn mantis is L1 and when they next molt it'll be L2 e.g  

different species of mantids have a certain amount of molts. normally the males are L7 when adult and the females are L8.

a L3 instar mantis is normally about a month old.

hope i helped


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## Opivy (Jun 28, 2009)

Thanks Becky! been trying to figure out what L# was all night haha. so instar is the same as L?

I'm still trying to decide who I shoud order from. The more i browse, the more websites I find!

www.mantisplace.com doesn't have a description for some of them. where as some are listed as nymphs, L3 and so on. I'm curious what I would receive if I ordered one.


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## beckyl92 (Jun 28, 2009)

Opivy said:


> Thanks Becky! been trying to figure out what L# was all night haha. so instar is the same as L?I'm still trying to decide who I shoud order from. The more i browse, the more websites I find!
> 
> www.mantisplace.com doesn't have a description for some of them. where as some are listed as nymphs, L3 and so on. I'm curious what I would receive if I ordered one.


yeah its the same thing  

id order from here. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showforum=6

you'll probably end up getting one cheaper and you'll defently know what your getting


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## revmdn (Jun 28, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. If you order from MantisPlace , she will take care of you. Don't worry, she knows what she's doing. Nymphs aren't as tough as it sounds sometimes. There are unexplainable deaths, but I've have not had too many issues. Just jump in, the water's fine.


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## Opivy (Jun 28, 2009)

what's a good mantis to start off with for a beginner? I've read that the african one is, but ofcourse I'm intrigued by the more brilliant looking ones.

also, as i mentioned before - on mantisplace there is no details on the african mantis. I'm curious how old it will be?

sorry for all the dumb questions =-0


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## beckyl92 (Jun 28, 2009)

Opivy said:


> what's a good mantis to start off with for a beginner? I've read that the african one is, but ofcourse I'm intrigued by the more brilliant looking ones.also, as i mentioned before - on mantisplace there is no details on the african mantis. I'm curious how old it will be?
> 
> sorry for all the dumb questions =-0


hmm there are more hardy species but to be honest if your just keeping a few of them it'll be fairly easy whatever species.

are you planning on breeding them? if so i wouldn't get the orchid mantis as they commonly can become egg bound.

easy mantids: chinese, ghost, african, shielded, carolina. theres probably many more but i can't think of any


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## cloud jaguar (Jun 28, 2009)

Hi from LA and welcome to the hobby! Definitely keeping mantis with many crix not a good idea since they will, as you found out, eat the mantis  Check out the forum and get the book PRAYING MANTIDS: KEEPING ALIENS by O. McMonigle.


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## Opivy (Jun 28, 2009)

Thanks =) I really like the Giant Shield. I plan to get one for now, and maybe a few more. I get into hobby's quite easily - and mantids seem very interesting to me


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## beckyl92 (Jun 28, 2009)

Opivy said:


> Thanks =) I really like the Giant Shield. I plan to get one for now, and maybe a few more. I get into hobby's quite easily - and mantids seem very interesting to me


the shielded was my first ever mantis  

ive still got her now. shes 10 month old.

good choice  

check my gallery out, ive got pictures of her from L3-adult.


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## revmdn (Jun 28, 2009)

Good ones to start with are ghost, giant asian, and I don't think orchids are hard. When there young you need to watch their humidity levels, and keep good air flow. Not as hard as it sounds. Very easy as adults, imo.


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## Rick (Jun 28, 2009)

Welcome


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## ismart (Jun 28, 2009)

Welcome to the forum  .


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## [email protected] (Jun 28, 2009)

[SIZE=14pt]Yellow there from P-town Colorado[/SIZE]


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 28, 2009)

Welcome from OHIO, got a question, everyone know me email is [email protected], just ask me. All my mantis are 2nd instar to 3, 4 and rarely 5th instar, most people email me for what they want, I try to comply, but adults are only sold to those who really want them, other than that they do not go out.


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## d17oug18 (Jun 28, 2009)

hello from cali, im doug!


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## Katnapper (Jun 29, 2009)

Hello Opivy, nice to have you here.  You'll learn lots checking out past forum threads... so you've got the right idea.  Budwings, Ghosts, Giant Shields.... there are really lots of great mantids suitable for beginners. No matter which you pick, you'll go through learning similar basics for their care. Best of luck to you with whatever species you choose... and definitely enjoy your new hobby! Beware though... it's addicting.


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## bassist (Jun 29, 2009)

Welcome from the Bay area.

               



BeckyL said:


> easy mantids: chinese, ghost, african, shielded, carolina. theres probably many more but i can't think of any


I'll add on to this list with:

_Acromantis_, _Cilnia_, _Hymenopus_, _Creobroter_, _Pseudocreobotra_, _Miomantis_, _Hierodula_, _Pseudoharpax_, and _Parashendale_


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## Opivy (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone =) I'm really excited about this - but my mind is still buzzing with what i need to do before ordering. I'm scared of having it die on me =(

First off i'm wondering about enclosures. When I order the mantis, i'm under the impression it will be quite small and won't need anything very large? i've read that it only needs to be three times the height, and twice the width - so a small cup like the ones tarantulas are sold in should suffice until it grows up, right?

I checked the petco near my house today, and they have flightless fruit flies - are those the right kind for a L2-L3? (as i plan to order from mantisplace.com)

thanks so much for the help everyone -

also hibiscus, is there any chance you will have ghosts back in stock soon? I'm debating between the Giant Shield, and the Ghost -

Thanks!


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 2, 2009)

I was hoping to have some but only one ooth I have hatched 6 and only three lived, the other one did not hatch, so I must keep looking for new blood lines, I wore mine out!


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## PhilinYuma (Jul 2, 2009)

Opivy said:


> Thanks for the warm welcome everyone =) I'm really excited about this - but my mind is still buzzing with what i need to do before ordering. I'm scared of having it die on me =(First off i'm wondering about enclosures. When I order the mantis, i'm under the impression it will be quite small and won't need anything very large? i've read that it only needs to be three times the height, and twice the width - so a small cup like the ones tarantulas are sold in should suffice until it grows up, right?
> 
> I checked the petco near my house today, and they have flightless fruit flies - are those the right kind for a L2-L3? (as i plan to order from mantisplace.com)
> 
> ...


You can use small pots, but why go to the expense of buying two sets when you can start them off in 32oz pots and just let them grow up in them? When you're checking out the mantids at the Hives Lady's site, check 'em out.

FFs come in two sizes, little D. melanogaster, and muscular D. hydei. You should get them in advance and have a few cultures ready by the time you get your nymphs. I think that the most important thing about starting out successfully in this hobby is to have lots of food in advance, right Ming Ming?


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## Opivy (Jul 2, 2009)

little confused, what's an FF?

also, i've bene reading on fly cultures - but is it really necesarry? I found fruit fly's at petco


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## Katnapper (Jul 2, 2009)

Opivy said:


> little confused, what's an FF?also, i've bene reading on fly cultures - but is it really necesarry? I found fruit fly's at petco


FF = fruit fly


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## Opivy (Jul 2, 2009)

is culturing them necesarry?

also, I was looking at everyones net cages - are there advantages to these? I may just build one myself (I'm on a tight budget, looking for the cheapest enclosure possible.


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 3, 2009)

If u want the cheapest that works, use a box, pics of it are under housing I think, and I made one with a screen for the front and could of used screen on top for more light too, nothing wrong with a box, search for it and I added a lot of limbs and it worked great, specially cause they dont require a lot of water, so box doesnt melt






and culturing is only neccessary if u need small flies, if not dont do it.


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## bassist (Jul 3, 2009)

Culturing fruit flies is only necessary if you have a large number of nymphs to feed.


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## agent A (Jul 4, 2009)

Welcome from CONNECTICUT!


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