Recent content by jday

Nobody can say for sure, but having raised mantises for a decade, and seen plenty eat way more than I ever expected (in nature as well as in captivity) I wouldn't worry.

Given how amazing mantises are, it's not at all surprising that ancient people were drawn to them! Kind of surprising there aren't more artistic representations of them.

I also bought a ghost ooth from Kevin.  Great communication, great packaging. Would definitely buy from him again!

I also ordered six nymphs from Cheryl and received eight very healthy Sibylla Pretiosa nymphs   I live in an adjoining state and temps have been moderate so I just used priority mail rather than a more expensive option.  The packaging was great, the container was very convenient and I'm planning...

This may sound gross, but I think it's efficient: we feed our dead flies to the fish. They love 'em!

Left, definitely. Right, I can't see well enough to tell, but it seems very dark for one laid this fall, so I'm guessing it has hatched, too. Thanks for finding these, though. Inkie told me she thinks the left ooth is European and the right is bordered.

I'm pleased by these responses. I asked this very same question a few years ago, and all I got was some dude saying something along the lines of "mine are just as big...you're doing something wrong"! I don't know all of the factors, but I tend to think it's humidity and light. This year we...

Add another check in the thumbs up column! We usually catch nymphs in the spring and have only ordered mantises twice before: a Chinese ooth from a scientific supply house and a ghost ooth from Hibiscussmile. We were a bit worried about buying nymphs because they can be so fragile, but the...

Hi, folks. In my limited experience (two years), it seems that the free-range adult Chinese mantises I catch in the yard are significantly larger than our "pet" adult mantises...about 20% larger. We feed our mantises daily, and give 'em a varied diet of wild-caught bugs, but we do keep 'em...

Another very satisfied customer! I can't add anything new to what's been said...I can just add another positive vote to the overwhelming number already given. Thank you!

"Is this crazy?"...well, it doesn't seem like the wisest idea I've seen floated on this site, but it's not necessarily a recipe for ecological disaster, either. Still, there seem to be a lot of unknowns, and the possible positive outcomes (lots of mantises outside) don't seem to outweigh the...

Unless you're breeding to sell, my advice is to keep records only if they make the hobby more fun, and skip 'em otherwise. Last summer we kept some records of the personalities of our mantises (killer, normal, shy, etc.) Some were very passive and others were incredibly aggressive hunters. It...

Hi all. My son and I have hatched and raised Chinese mantises for two years running (we bought them from a science supply outfit), and also kept some Carolinas that we found in the yard. This year he asked for a ghost-mantis egg case for his 8th birthday, cause we've heard they're fairly easy...

Our #1 ootheca producer recently escaped from her terrarium after mating. Several days later she returned--without prompting--albeit with a much smaller abdomen. This all occurred in my son's room, which is full of the sorts of toys fellers of his generation accumulate. I've looked under the...

Welcome Idahomantid. We haven't used a spoon, but Z and I learned in Seymor Symon's "Pets in Jars" that mantids will drink water from a drop on your finger. It's a wonderful experience.