Hierodula is one of the most common mantid genus you can find in middle and northern part of China, along with Tenodera and Statilia. They do have a higher diversity in the south but I don't think it's a tropical genus.
You mist an African twig before molt and probably that's why. For more than half of the species in your list, they should be left bone dry. And for the rest Southeast Asian species, they can be easily messed up with low air humidity.
Just give any hardy species from dry habitat another chance...
In need of male Euchomenella heteroptera (sub or fresh adult, pre-sub may also works), please PM me if you have any available. I'm in the US. Thank you!
Mine eat anything to be frankly. They prefer smaller items merely because they're smaller and slender, but they will take down any insects which they can handle.
Nice picture! Glad to see another hobbyist from NJ. There's a marine biology building only a few steps away from my department hall, don't know if we are in the same university though haha.
This is normal among mantodea and orthoptera, they have a soft and juicy abdomen which will rot fast. Some people take the gut out but I never do that; I just dry them by oven. It may take some trial and error before you can handle your oven without ruining your specimen or foam board, but I...
I haven't see any research demonstrated that insects feel the same pain as we do. So in my opinion, as long as you are killing it for proper reason in proper methods (freeze, alcohol, kill jar etc.), there's no measurable differences in humanity,
If the nymph is not really tiny and the abdomen is plump, they can last a long time without food than you think.
One of my B mendica once refused to eat for more than 3 weeks. Then she started eating again and molted nicely.
Species from arid area don't really need so much moisture. Actually I never mist budwings, and they're doing absolutely fine by only getting water from their preys.
High moisture can arise many problems, including bacteria and mold growth. If the species don't need much humidity then I'd...
Hey everyone should take a look of this literature:
Ene, J. C. "The distribution and post-embryonic development of Tarachodes afzelii (Stål),(Mantodea: Eremiaphilidae)." Journal of Natural History 7.80 (1964): 493-511.
Ootheca guard and gregarious association between hatchlings and females...
No matter who said "all bugs do not care about their offspring", it sounds ridiculous to me... I never saw any scientific report on mantis, and personally I doubt if parental care is present in Mantodea. But their sister group, cockroaches, are famous for their parental care behavior. Some...
Oh it reminds me of my childhood...
The one in the video is not a cricket, it is Gampsocleis gratiosa, one of the numerous singing orthopterans that kept as pets in China. It is omnivorous but a very positive hunter, I'd say more aggressive than most mantis. They are not feeder, they can prey...
Most likely parasitoid Diptera, tachniid fly for example. They do no harm to human so don't be worried; you can either freeze your mantis to kill everything or leave it alone and allow the flies to complete their life cycle.