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Pretty sure that is a female, although it is a bit hard to tell from that angle. She is pretty plump for a subadult. The wingbuds also look like they might be fairly swollen which is a sign she is getting ready for her final molt. I am concerned about your current cage. She really needs...

Yep, it is common for the males of this species to reach adulthood prior to the girls, but you should still have plenty of time to breed them before old age takes your boy. Creo's are easy breeders and their nymphs tend to be very robust so a great species for beginning breeding attempts.

Feeding them will not effect their lifespan unless you feed so little they starve. Boy's naturally regulate their intake and will reguarly drop partially eaten food or go off it for a couple days as they only need enough energy to fly around and hunt for the ladies. In order to extend their...

How are the bites occurring and are all the mantises doing it or just a particular one? Are they striking at you in general handling or are these nibble bites where they bend down and start chewing on you? This species can be rather chewy when they think they sense something. A lot of mantises...

If you are talking about the second photo, that is perfectly normal. Mantises eyes generally darken at night when it gets dark as it allows more light in and helps their night vision. If the lighting is poor in the room you are keeping them in sometimes their eyes will remain on the darker side...

For those that haven't seen yet, Photobucket is no longer allowing their images to be hosted on third-party sites unless you are willing to shell out $400 a year. Apparently this is rolling out and hitting heavy using users first, but unless something changes soon anything posted with image...

Hahaha glad you found that tip helpful. I could always try and write up a guide if you like although, I'm not sure if I have that much more in way of special advice. For the most part mantises are just ridiculously easy to travel with, which is why I often take them. Whenever I stay at a hotel...

I've traveled many times with mantises without issues. I find them very easy travel companions. Personally I prefer net cages for travel because then I don't have to worry about the sun coming through a car window managing to bake them. I also like the net cages for more active species because...

I didn't have a floppy problem with this species, but Carolina mantises definitely are a species that will over indulge in food if they are allowed too. I got some serious chunky monkey butts out of these nymphs when I had them in a communal set up in the earlier instars. Where your nymphs...

@Teamonger If you are up for a smaller species you might enjoy something like Creobroter pictipennis. They tend to be easy/cheap to get, breed easily, have good hatch rates, and the nymphs are super hardy. A nice plus is the numbers are more manageable per a ooth than a number of species but...

Yep the wing buds become more noticeable the larger the mantis gets. The wingbuds are very pronounced in the last couple if instars for Carolina mantises so simply seeing them does not mean the mantis is a sub adult. If you aren't familiar with the species the only way you can use the wing buds...

Sounds like the mantis was stressed by the small space. Usually if they are running like that in a small area they calm down a bit once you actually get them out and they aren't constantly hitting walls.

Yep, got to celebrate all those mantis father's out there willing to sacrifice their heads for their offspring. :P

No but then again stomping on a poodle may very well not kill it the first or even second time. Some people prefer the full squish method for smaller inverts because it is instantaneous. I personally feel it is probably more humane then the freezer as they can have reactions to the initial...

I prefer to culture my own insects so I always have bugs on tap. Panchlora nivea, a species of small roach have become my go to feeders. Super easy to care for and breed. I use them as my mantids' staple diet and leave picking up bugs like waxworms, mealworms, and other flies as extras thrown in...

I got some really nice raw local honey a while back and my turd butt mantises won't even touch it. I've had honey eaters in the past but I've also found a number that just don't seem interested in the sticky treat.

Yep, sometimes mantises will expel excess uric acid via liquid form. It is usually mostly transparent with a slight chalky white that becomes more visible when it dries. In my experience adult females are most prone to this. I don't consider it out of the norm or a health issue as long as it is...

Woah someone is a hearty eater. Looks like she will be ready to lay an ootheca any day now. You should ask if she was bred.

@crabbypatty @Zeppy44 @Jessie @Teamonger Sorry for the sluggish update. Here are some photos of my pretty girl. First off one of Trumpet (on the right) with her sub-adult sister (on the left) who is only a few days younger than her. As you can see her sister who is only a sub-adult is if...

Some of you might remember a topic a posted a year back of one of my boy Stagmomantis carolina that skipped a shedding, resulting in a mini sized adult. Well, it just happened again only this time with a female Stagmomantis carolina. I was expecting Trumpet, one of my precious little ladies, to...