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Europeans do very poorly in captivity, and they are surprisingly hard to breed despite being a native species.    Its impossible to diagnose cause of death in mantises, but I have never had good results with mealworms as feeders.  Could it be the feeders were tainted when you start losing...

Yes they’re much hardier than we give credit. I actually tend to find Carolina mantises later than Chinese. For example, this year I’ve found 5-6 Carolinas in November in PA after a week straight of frost, once inside they liven up and live normally! 

I think inbreeding is heavily overstated. I’ve personally bred a species for 6 years that originated from one ootheca. Hatch rates, adult size, and nymph survival have not changed.  There is no scientific data and anyone, including me, is telling anecdotes. I don’t believe mantises in nature...

Great question! In my opinion the amount inbreeding plays is overblown. I can’t imagine there is a ton of movement in nature for a particular species within a 10 year period in a normal setting.  My Deroplatys truncata have been interbred for 6 years straight and my hatch rates, adult size, and...

Captive bred, already eaten and fattened up. $20 each, 5 for $70, 10 for $130. They’re available to ship Mon-Wed.  PM me if interested. Here is my feedback: 

Limited number of hatchlings in US only. PM me for details. Link to my feedback 

PM me for details. Limited number available. Idolomantis and Rhombodera can be sent 1i, Callibia must wait until 2i (should be ~7 days). Disclaimer: I’ve also posted elsewhere so depending on how fast this gets approved, it is first come, first serve. 

I have a few male Rhombodera megaera 4-6 instar as well as a subadult male ghost. PM me if interested.

I’ve been ordering blue bottle flies for years. Hatch rates of pupae and spikes are always solid, shipping good, and timely. Recommend for flies for sure!

Are the females depositing ooths in some of the early photos?

$25/5, $45/10, $80/20 + shipping.  Freshly hatched captive bred nymphs, PM me zip code for shipping quote.  Heaviest species I know of in culture. Females and males are both ~10 cm. My feedback is on the forum 

Sounds like a toxic issue rather than husbandry. Truncata nymphs have very few die offs. I’d wash everything and ensure there are no pesticides that could be circulating, including those circulating from outside 

Awesome to see!!

For roaches I do dry feed that smells like alfalfa, then citrus fruit. Flies gut loaded with sugar water or honey. No true science behind it that I know of, but I think it’s good to gut load with sugary substances. Chitin, the backbone of the insect exoskeleton, is a polysaccharide (a chemical...

Female

The most impressive species of all! Congratulations on that as well. Last time you were on, the Helvia may have been known as Parymenopus correct?

Bravo! Welcome back. I remember your posts years ago with some Toxodera specimen

My oldest Deroplatys truncata female is approaching her 28th month birthday on 3/2/21. She was born Nov 2, 2018 and is one of my personal breeding stock (I think she is 3rd or 4th generation). Her first ootheca was deposited 9/11/2019, hatched 11/18/19 >120 nymphs. Subsequently she’s...

Really great to see close care taken, rather than just aesthetically pleasing tanks et al that the mantises don’t flourish in.  I’ve avoided most bark dwelling species for the simple fact of firebrat and springtail requirements.  Have you gotten any more opportunities with Idolomantis?

Photos are wonderful! Great work with the Metallyticus, they seem tricky. How do you raise your firebrats?