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welcome!

Yeah I think it is more for peace of mind by combining a killing jar with the freezer. I really despise that many 'dealers' kill insects simply to pin them, so I'm always reluctant to put them out of their misery too early. 7-0 to be a good strength for the mantids. You're exactly right, it is...

Thank you! Been saying this for years. People think throwing 3 bugs into a net cube and calling it a terrarium will yield results. It may work for the hardy species that are good at adapting, but to be successful across the board you must replicate natural habitats.

My apologies, forgot to mention they are kept in an airtight container with nail polish remover in it.  This is done when the mantid is just about dead naturally. I don't like freezing them long because it can make them more brittle. I've found many mantids outside after the first frost of the...

Normally I recommend putting a mantid that's on his/her last leg into the freezer for 20 min to humanely end their life. After doing so, I cut a slit from the thoraco-abdominal junction to around the 5th segment (females) or 6th segment (males). Removal of all of the GI system will prevent...

Hi everyone, Had some time off on this rainy day so I decided to do some pinning. The specimens were in bad shape, ones that I had hastily stored in a drying container in 2012. They hadn't been gutted in the normal fashion that I prefer; I was in the process of moving so they got placed on the...

I've fed mine flies that landed on dog poop, roadkill, dead fish, and scrap meat from my dinner. No problems for any of them

Heck yeah! 

I've had a few come out like that through the years, can't recall what species.

Put an upside down lid in (~3" diameter) and soak a piece of paper towel with honey, then do the same with another lid but soak it with water. Lots of surface area and no drowning.

Keep the dermestids at bay, they can eat pinned collections! Learned this the hard way

D. desiccata should take walking prey. There was a source, perhaps a book, that stated they go after Lepidoptera most enthusiastically. Spoiler alert: All mantids love flapping wings, not just desiccata. The best thing to do is emulate Mother Nature...dead leaf mimicing mantids will be exposed...

Great pictures! How many cm are your R. extensicollis? They aren't too common in the hobby

How many weeks since molt to maturity?

Be careful in the natural light in an enclosure... mantids can die in net enclosures outside in full sun. I had to learn that the hard way years ago!

I've found that keeping as close to natural habitat is best for growth, come to think of it also for breeding/hatching/health/etc. There are some exceptions, but bright and warmer daytime (~85F, 50-60% RH) coupled with cooler and damp nighttime (~70F, 80-90% RH) will yield great results. ...

I love seeing that commercial! The version I saw had the female D. desiccata on her hand. That is neat you got to meet them, they seem like great 'ambassadors' for insects.

Yeah that's a phasmid, I couldn't get a clear photo due to its movements.

Also found a lantern bug/peanut head bug egg case.