Recent content by john57

She may be getting ready to make ootheca. My African mantis does the same thing, getting fat just before making an ootheca.

Here is my proof of concept for the mossy stick  for the Exo Terra tall tank.  I put the sticks in the front half of the tank with different spacing to give the mantis a choice when growing up. It was intended for my baby Giraffe as it grow up since they have long legs. But in this case I have a...

nice!

While I never had a mis-molt with the Violins or with the Devil Flowers one of my female violins did in fact like you, ate her sister even when I know that they were well fed. The irony of all of this it that I have one male adult violin living with the two other females with no issues. The two...

Usually with house flies I let them hatch fully before putting them back in the refrigerator to slow them down before feeding them to the mantis. Does storing the pupae in the refrigerator and then putting the pupae in the tank to thaw out and hatch is any better? Does keeping the pupae in the...

I have five violins but they are outgrowing their tank. I am looking at the Exo Terra Medium/Tall which is 24” x 18” x 24”  to house them. They are fun to watch at food time. They do the dance while eating. They swing to the right and then to the left. They also like to do the twist while eating...

Well, my big Wandering Violins look more fragile to me. My baby giraffe lost entire leg but got that fourth leg back after the molt. Took a few days to get used to the new leg.

They need high heat to do best. I am keeping mine at 92°F air temp and 72%  humidity which is not easy to do in Colorado. Last week the outside weather was at  12% humidity. I use both top and bottom heaters plus a heating pad between two tanks. Even with the Exo Terra tanks and the room temp is...

I am using a under the tank heater for my Devil Flower tank to raise humidity to 72% with a wet substrate.  It is useless in raising the temp to 92°F so I use a ceramic top heater. After all, my mantis spents most of the time on top. I also use a cheap $10 always on heating pad like the one in...

The Blue Death Feigning beetle is capable of living in Death Valley, California meaning that it has to be hardy. There is also Black Death Feigning Beetles which likes a bit more humidity than the blues and the Smooth Death Feigning Beetles. All three can live communal together like a...

That makes sense and his wings are huge and very long antennas. So little has been written about about this species. Almost lost him because they are very good jumpers.  Found him sitting on top of kitchen can waiting for me. 

Here is my adult giraffe mantis eating a wax worm in celebration. This might been a male, not sure. He does have a bit of a ball joint at the base of the neck. P.S. He still watches me as a adult.

I am using three Blue Death Feigning Beetles with my  five violins mantis in one tank for my cleanup crew. Most of my violins are sub adults and get along with each other for the most part. I did not expect my wandering violins to get so big. The Wandering Violins has one of the best reaction...

My giant African mantis does the same thing and always hungry. He keeps taping the glass saying I want more!  Does not like to sit on my hand.   When I try to hand feed a BB fly it would rip the fly out of the tweezers leaving the legs behind. 

You have my condolences. My goal is to help the mantis with the best possible chance to reach adulthood and earn their wings.  With each new mantis I am finding ways that I can improve "their stations in life"