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How big are Ghost nymphs, usually? I’ve read that they come out relatively large, for how small they are as adults.  Also, from your experiences, are ghosts really as easy to keep/breed as all the caresheets say?

I have only had experiences with Chinese mantids, and apparently they are a decently huge species. I have kept many L1 nymphs, and they start out a decent size and grow very quickly, often doubling (at least) with every molt.  My question is, since I am wanting to breed some orchids and ghosts...

Nice choice! What is your favorite kind of carnivorous plant that you own?  And welcome! This is an amazing community!

@MantisGirl13 How many do you keep in the 20 gallon aquarium, usually?

I just ordered some Ghost mantids (FINALLY!!!) and I have a question about their communal nature. I know that they are a communal species, but is it really safe to have them in the same enclosure? I am getting 3 males, and 5 females. I know to separate the males from the females, but can I...

I agree. Mantids have attitudes, and seem to display some higher level thinking. Crickets, and all the other feeders for that matter, just have one thing in mind: perpetuation of the colony.

I’m not sure if it’s legal to buy them/ship them across state lines in the US. Don’t quote me in it, but I did a quick google search, and there were a few discussions about it. Here’s some links: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/where-to-buy-locusts-in-the-us.37796/...

That’s a good point, I never thought about that. Must be a lot stricter here in the IS, because there aren’t any kinds of mantids on eBay.  Feeding a cat a kitten. Hehehe

@minomantis I did the same thing in the beginning!  Using mantids as feeders does seem a bit wrong, but if you really think about it, how are crickets and moths any different? (This coming from a conservationist friend of mine).  Personally, I could never feed any of my mantids to another one...

I made this culture on 8/16. It was fine for a couple of days, but then I watched helplessly as the mold started to form. In no time, the top of the media was completely covered in mold. The mold turned out not being a problem, since the young maggots ate it all very quickly. The key was...

Usually they do grow a lot slower when kept at a lower temp. The best thing to do, I would say, is to move it to a warmer part of the house, maybe around 75-76+. Here is a link to an amazingly comprehensive care sheet, and it suggests temps to be between 77 and 86. ...

Wow! A real life entomologist! You must really like bugs. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but entomology is something that has always blown my mind. There is just so much diversity and specialization among insects. If med school doesn’t pan out, I will probably pursue entomology. For...

Welcome back!

After hearing this, i think I might just order within the US next time...

Out where I live, in rural Indiana, it seems like there are more than usual, but only of the Chinese mantids. We don’t have any Carolinas where we live, because the Chinese out compete them, and literally eat just about everything in our field.  Every time this year that I have went out and...

I just bought some bee moth larvae (“lesser wax moth”) from the local bait shop, and I was wondering how long it would be until they become moths. I think they would be Considered mature adults. There is even one pupating. How long until I should get some nice moths from them?

I got my mantids from England, a man by the name of Andrew Mitchell, his website is here: http://theprayingmantis.co.uk/ shipping is pretty expensive, if you go for the express (5-6 days), but the normal (which works out to be about $20) takes an average of 9 days, which is a pretty long time...

@Little Mantis The female’s name is Lilly, and the male’s name is “The Male” (never named him so I wouldn’t get too attached, in case breeding doesn’t go well ?)

Nice collection! Welcome to the forum, it is definitely the best place for any mantis-related info. I started back in the hobby this past year, and I’ve learned more in that time than I did years prior, before I was a member. 

Well, isn’t today just full of surprises. The little male just molted to subadult. So now they are perfectly aligned to breed.  Today is a good day ?