# Help me decide what species i should keep next ! :D



## 13ollox (May 17, 2006)

hey guys , i got 2 faunariums empty so i was thinking what should i fill em with but theres soo many species its hard to decide so i thought id give you a chance to persuade me to keep a species you enjoy ! im a novice keeper and like active species like polyspilota's, ! so cummon .. persuade me !!!

Neil


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## nympho (May 17, 2006)

what species have you kept?


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## 13ollox (May 17, 2006)

polyspilota and membranacea ! so not that many species really !


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## Yosei (May 17, 2006)

Hmmm......

Get some mantids that are available in your area (in the UK which is a lot of species available)

Try

-Phyllocrania Paradoxa &lt;---Highly recommended (My 1st exotic mantis  )

-Gongylus Gongylodes

-Sphodromantis (Nice stalking down of prey, in other words, entertaining)

-Pseudocrobotra Wahlebergi &lt;---I think i spelled it wrong

And when you really feel ready, some Orchids, then Idolos. (Dunno about difficulty, sometimes things are easier to keep than you think!)

I'm sure other people can post their suggestions, the ones I said try are the ones I kept  .


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## Sheldon Johnson (May 17, 2006)

paradoxa, gongloides coronatus, Ceratomantis sp, basalis. I would say Sybilla sp. but Personnally, im not really "feeling it" with these guys yet.


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## Tapos (May 17, 2006)

first check availability, no point in deciding on a species you can't get. there are those who want big, others want color, others want speed. you have to consider ease of care also. some require flying prey, high humidity, or high temp. all present different challenges. i have raised about 7 or 8 different kinds. the C. Elongata are very cool to look at, and are fun to watch get prey, the H. Grandis is huge and seems very smart. marbled are very colorful. i would like to try violin as they can be housed communally. i have had chinese, and they are easy to raise and cheap. good luck


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## Jwonni (May 18, 2006)

I found orchids especially when young to be plenty of fun

they were all agressive toward food (not cricket though they didn't like them much) giving em curly wing flys which were as big maybe slightly bigger then the mantids and they'd charge after em grab and then reverse up the sides or up the twig so the fly couldn't grab onto the sides


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## 13ollox (May 18, 2006)

well thanks guys ! i have decided on 2 Parasphendale Agriona to add to my collection ! as they seem pretty cute in my opinion ! then .... after that maybe some ghosts .. followed by orchids .. followed by some whalbergi i think ! but like you guys say . .depends of availability ! i would have gone for some ghosts now ... but i heard they quite boring and do bugger all, so that kinda put me off them ... orchids i cant seem to find at the moment too so i went for a nice hardy species that always eats !  thanks guys for the ideas !

Neil


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## Executor of Fruit Flies (May 18, 2006)

Budwings are cute to you? I've always thought their banded eyes gave them an evil look. Anyway, I'd recommend D. Dessicata, and here's why:

-large size makes it easier to feed

-chases food as aggressively as any other mantis

-easy to sex by their beautiful hood

-was the only mantis i've kept that always had perfect molts (I've kept budwings, ghosts, and spiny flowers)


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## 13ollox (May 19, 2006)

are they the big ones or the smaller ones ?


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## Peekaboo (May 19, 2006)

> are they the big ones or the smaller ones ?


If you're talking about budwings they're pretty sizeable. I think my female grew to be about 4 inches give or take a bit in length. She was pretty big. However, the males are smaller than the females.


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## 13ollox (May 19, 2006)

sorry .. i ment about dessicata ! because some of the " dead leaf " mantids are known as " dead leafs " while i think one is called " giant dead leaf " , however ... i duno ! more confusion about common names lol

Neil


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