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For my current brood, I researched popular people names indigenous to the mantids' country of origin.  In the case of T. sigiana that's generally Kenya and Tanzania.  Names chosen were: Nia, Desta, Subra, Sanna and Zuri.  One non-origin name was/is Mizar.  From the ancient Arabic meaning...

Nia was completely enthralled with your tutorial.  She's a Taumantis sigiana. 7 months old.

Ah. Then, of course, we live out life chasing crickets as a partial cripple. " Ello there mister cricket. Won't you come a lidl closah to elp an ol cripple mantis? Ay, there's a good cricket......"

MM. She'll be fine.  Her raptors look normal, so she'll be able to capture and hold prey.  I've had many Tenodera sinensis, over the years, who suffered malformed legs. They did just fine.  There's a good chance these two back legs may straighten out with successive molts.  Incidentally -...

To heck with the usda.  What are they saying over there, anyway? 

Microwave radiation is an excellent method for sterilization.  Any hiding critter - even the tiniest (including many strains of bacteria) will be killed.  The radiation excites water molecules to boiling in seconds.  You just have to watch wood sticks, plastics and such to prevent combustion or...

Keep a notepad of molt days.  You'll get a quick sense when the next molt is imminent.  She's most likely getting ready for one.  Swatting or running from prey is a good molting-is-coming sign.  Or, less probability, she's just not hungry.  Good idea you removed the prey in case she's headed for...

Those two little singing girls would soon disappear if they entered a Taumantis sigiana cage !

Now that I've installed a butterfly bush on my deck, I have access to more plump, delicious feeders than I know what to do with.  Don't capture the larger Monarchs or Tiger Swallowtails of course.  But the larger skippers and assorted moths make for a gorge galore.  Tonight I snagged a plain...

Amour Dangereux -- Zuri (the skinny guy on the right), ponders the enormous gamble of l'amour with beautiful Mizar (plump and very gravid, munching on a snack to keep her occupied) on the left. This species (Taumantis stigiana) includes incredibly aggressive females who tend to devour their...

I agree with you Krissim and Sticky - the Chambre d'amour was too confined for the male and not confined enough for the female. My research and limited experience now lead me to an open room.  M and F on a dining room table, white surface underneath for contrast.  The females are so rapid and...

The Chamber of Love became a restaurant.  The female (at some point in the evening) left only a foreleg of poor Subra, resting on the floor.  No, pretty certain there was no connection.  This morning I abandoned the Chambre d'amour and carefully, slowly (took 1/2 an hour) maneuvered my remaining...

I'm new to breeding T. sigiana.  I've found that both male and female are more skittish than many other sp.  The male, particularly so (afraid of food, his own shadow, the dark, you name it).  I've been warned that the girls are particularly difficult when introducing a male.  So, at the spur of...

Remember Coyote ---- they think they're bats !

What a pretty family !  I love the almost iridescent blue on Elf.  Looks like you're doing macro shots (with a 35mm camera?).  Getting any appreciable depth-of-field in macro photography is extremely challenging.  Need tons of bright light so you can make the shots at very high f/stops (16, 22...

No ants. Ants bad. 1. Virtually no meat   2. Formic acid .  No ants. ants bad. No ladybugs, wasps, spiders, earthworms, bumblebees -- basically, no venomous nothin.  Ladybugs aren't venomous but they contain a toxin.

Ladybugs are toxic.  No ladybugs.

Correct. Any entomologist will agree.  A Yummy dance or happy dance.  I've raised quite a few different species and they all do this when munching on a moth or delicious fly.  Or enjoying a bit of fresh honey.   Or, if you must -- mantisman230 is exactly on target in his first response above. ...

About as normal as normal gets :D

When they're available, I try to put wild moths and lacewings on the dinner menu for my Taumantis sigiana.  The males (having reached adulthood way sooner than the girls), are considerably smaller and considerably skittish (even afraid of food).  So the boys get the lacewings (the males of this...