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You are right in that Mantids don’t have pupils. Some old posts suggest that it could be from your mantis rubbing its eyes on the plastic of the enclosure, but no one can agree on the cause. I know the post I linked ended in the mantis’ death, but I doubt this is the case with your mantis.  As...

Congratulations on two adult molts! Don’t blame yourself for the deformities. From what you’ve said, neither sounds fatal. Just be on the lookout for any signs of internal injuries. If they start to act lethargic or they start spasming that could a bad sign. You can offer them 100% pure and raw...

Sounds like she threw up. Maybe she vomited on her abdomen, or it was an infection in her abdomen. My best guess would be “Black Death,” and PetSmart crickets are definitely candidates for spreading the illness, from what I’ve heard. Neglected crickets in less-than-good care or habitats are very...

Odd behavior. It’s interesting that you can see how heavily she’s breathing towards the end. Also, What is that black stuff on her leg? Also, you mentioned that she just fell in her habitat. Are her spasms sort of spontaneous? As for fixing her, for now I think it’s best to leave her alone...

I’m so sorry about your awful experience. There’s no reason the seller could upload content and still leave you hanging about your mantis after waiting weeks. Good luck with getting your money back! I’m sure PayPal will side with you if he still doesn’t ship soon. But I’m glad you were able to...

Looking for someone to buy Hestiasula major from. If you have any nymphs or breeders of this species available, let me know! I’m located in Southern California, USA. 

The pictures are a little blurry, but my best guess would be Iris oratoria, or Mediterranean mantis. In case I’m wrong, you could also try looking for the distinct European mantis eyespots on the coxa. Also, Chinese mantises tend to have subtle stripes running vertically down their faces. It...

Welcome to the forums! Good luck with the ooths!

@john57, @danl82, no problem, glad I was able to help you guys! Although, I would like to add that it should be D. lobata that is actually the most commonly available, as opposed to what I wrote above. As of yet, I’ve only seen private breeders and MantidKingdom selling D. desiccata.

Congratulations on the adult molt! Diego’s new wings are beautiful, he’s a nice looking little guy! Good luck with Hunter’s molt!

Congratulations on the hatches! Good luck with the new nymphs.

Ashoka’s beautiful. Congratulations! Those are some nice photos, and I like the pattern on her wings. Glad to see her wings dried up just fine.

I myself am not a breeder, but as far as I can tell, most breeders just sell off the adults as breeding pairs or breeders to those who already have specimens of the opposite ***. You could also breed them yourself and sell the females as pre-bred, or sell her ooths as she lays them.  The most...

Removing some or most of the coco fiber until it dries a little more might be the easiest solution. Alternately, if you have an extra container that’s larger and is just lying around, you could always use that instead. Another option is just to remove the lid completely and replace it with an...

Indeed, males have more abdominal segments than females. The last segments also differ between males and females, with females having just one large last segment, whereas males have several smaller segments leading to the rear.  Female: Male:

She’s a gorgeous mantis. Good luck with the breeding!

Congratulations on the adult molt! Can’t wait to see her final patterns. 

Congratulations on the molt! Lee is now an adult mantis, and will not molt again. At this age, she can easily be sexed, but it might make it easier if you show the underside of the abdomen. I don’t have any firsthand experience with this species, but it looks to be male based on the pictures...

Welcome to the forums @FlyedPiper!  I got into mantiskeeping the same way, carnivorous plants. This is a great place to learn from experienced keepers and find reputable breeders to buy from. Good luck in choosing a mantis!

Welcome to the forums! Glad you were finally able to give mantids a shot. Depending on where and who you bought the ooths from, it is possible they were field collected. But from the pics, all ooths look to be Chinese to me. Good luck with your new nymphs!