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Help! Cold front in AZ! The temperatures have dropped from 90 degrees 3 weeks ago to 40 degrees at night for the last 2 nights. I had 5 outdoor iris oratoria females, and 2 disappeared. It will be this cold for a few more days. The temps will probably rise in a few days. I don't really have...

I had the same problem as your Carolina. My problem was that she molted to close to the bottom of the cage. First, part of her leg fell off, then it almost grew totally back after 2 molts. She is adult and ok now, but I am not breeding her because she is extra small and not 100%. I hope she...

Thank you! I think I need to wait a couple weeks though. It still may hit 90 degrees here in AZ. I'm guessing it is safe once the high is around 80 degrees outside?

Thank you!

Welcome! What kind of studies will you be doing? I really need to know the histology, physiology, and biochemistry of these beautiful creatures. Behavioral studies would be interesting as well. I feel so lost because without this information I do not know how to help them when they are ill...

I give up! I've been feeding my guys fruit flies and crickets. I buy organic fruit and vegetables for the feeder insects. I buy the insects at a reptile store. However, I am doing something wrong! Most of my mantids seem sick, especially compared to the outdoor mantids. I didn't see...

Thank you! I got my eldest to lay finally! She was laying eggs without ooth for a while, then for about a month she would try to lay and nothing would come out. Finally, I put her on a fichus tree in my bathroom with the windows wide open for fresh air and sun. When I checked on her she was...

I also wanted to say that my mantids that are iris oratoria, have became adult at L6, L7 and L8! I mean that I have some that skipped instars and a couple that molted one extra time. I have observed some patterns if you are interested let me know. I have also had terribly disfigured mantids...

She is so beautiful!!!!

Unfortunately, I am dealing with females with egg-bound issues. I went on vacation and they were not taken take of well. I think they are/were dehydrated. Finally, yesterday one was trying to lay and she got rigid like a board and could not walk. Then it looked like she was seizing. So I...

Thank you Rick!

I started a new post because I wasn't sure if anyone would look at the old post. So now it happened twice; I found another outdoor mantid with larvae in her abdomen! This is a nightmare! In the last post I was given a link to a picture of other mantids that looked the same. I was told that it...

Help! It happened again!!! How does this happen? This beautiful mantid laid eggs before she was murdered. Will her eggs be ok? Or do these fly eggs stay dormant for a long time? Can they live in an ooth? I know nothing about this! I feel so helpless! I am ready to move the 5 females I...

Wow! Thank you!

Aww. I just found all the mantids again. The one with the cut is very skinny and I don't think will make it much longer. I tried feeder her but she wouldn't move. The others are doing well! Thank you!

I went on vacation a month ago and I had hired someone to take care of my place and mantids. He was supposed to take care of the little guys every other day, but he came less than that. Now I have 3 mantids that are egg bound!!! My guess it is due to dehydration since my place has 0% humidity...

Wow! Thank you! So much good info! Poor bees though! It actually looked like another bee was trying to help his fallen comrade by buzzing around the one of the mantids right after she caught the bee!

When I came home today there was a ton of honey bees in by outside basil along with 3 mantids. 2 of them were eating bees and the 3rd had a cut on her neck and was oozing black stuff from what looked like a cut. I freaked when I saw that but I did not want to touch them. I literally turned my...

Thank you! That information helps a lot!

I've bought a book on insects and just not had time to read it. It did not have mantids in it either. I cannot find any good information on the anatomy of the mantid online. I really am curious! Does anyone know a good article or website? Thank you!