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I'm sorry about your mantis! The only sound I hear my largest mantis make is a satisfied crunching when eating bugs but that's about it  ;)

I've no idea if the top section is 'missing' or if the bottom is just extended out. Time will tell, maybe he's just letting his bits hang out? I've really no experience to go off of. Rather not touch anything there though. 

Another shot of the area I managed to get...

So all has been going well up until this point; my mantis molted last week to an adult. Unfortunately I've noticed something resembling a curled black line inside his last segment since his molt. Today it looks like part of his last segment is now missing from the top. I have no idea if this is...

I saw there was no thread for InvertsandOi so I figure I'd start one. I bought a little ghost a few weeks back. Communication was great, the seller answered all my questions promptly. Mantis was shipped asap, but the post office took an extra day to process it so he offered to send a second one...

So, we all love our mantises, but what do your friends, family, significant others, and coworkers think of your hobby? Share some stories, if you have any! I post a lot of my mantids on my social media and my coworkers absolutely love them. They'll ask me for updates about them at work and one...

I typically just put my hand in front of their face and/or gently push it against their front feet (it's pretty cute when they snap their heads down and wiggle their antenna at my hand like "Huh?!!"). I only nudge my more tame mantises to prompt them to walk, the other guys tend to freak out...

I don't think ants are very safe; the biggest concern is they can easily turn and bite the mantis (most of them have pretty strong jaws) especially if they're the larger and more aggresive ants you find roaming sidewalks. If they escape in the enclosure they can team up and potentially kill your...

I hope they take the mealworms! The honey should entice them.  Hm. Tenodora sinensis don't need extreme humidity so if you're spraying a deli cup that often, it's probably around 80-90 daily, which may be making them uncomfortable since they prefer 40-60. The humidity in my home is 50 and I...

Hi! Ghosts can eat all those things, but personally I think giving a little fly every other day is easier than dealing with 20 fruit flies. My l2 ghost will happily munch on a house fly and my l4 catches bluebottles likes its nothing. Like Connor said, buying them as pupae is a lot easier. It...

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think most, if not all, adult grasshoppers also sing (albeit not as loudly as crickets). Just from catching them outside I can attest they definitely make their presence known. Aside from that, I though I'd leave you the keepinginsects link that has a lot of handy...

I'm so sorry for the unfortunate turn, that must be really heartbreaking. I hope the rest turn out alright.  What type of mantises do you have? Certain breeds need even higher temps and an extra misting during molting to help them wiggle out. Do your cups have a good lid they can cling to and a...

He should be fine! As long as he has one arm he can still eat, you can always hand feed him if you notice he's not catching flies. Molting shouldn't be an issue either, mantises use their back legs to hang on not their front. It might grow back after a few molts if he isn't adult yet. 

I'm terrible at keeping plants alive but air plants (Tillandsia) are very easy to maintain and don't need soil. Basically you just soak them in water once a week. They come in a variety of sizes and you can find them in your local hardware or plant store (but I'm sure there's a place to buy...

Quick update on my mantis, she molted successfully despite an unusable leg! Looks like she gripped the mesh with one front leg and one back. She did loose the rest of the mangled foot in the process but hopefully it'll grow back from a clean cut like that.

I'm really excited for you, those are some awesome species to start with! Large deli cups may still be too big. Depending on how 'tame' your mantises are you can even take them out and sit them on a table to feed (if you have the patience to toss them fruit flies). I did that with my flower...

I've held a lot of wild mantises and their main instinct is to run, not bite; never had a single one bite me even when being grabbed. I'm sure it's possible but simpler to just get away than fight. High chance your mantises are smelling or mistaking your hands for food? Are their abdomens nice...

It's impossible to tell what kind of mantis it is without a picture. There's a lot of mantises living in North America; the most widespread ones I can name off the top of my head are the Carolina, Chinese, and European mantis. There's also a few lesser spread species that may be native to your...

There are definitely more mantids in your area! Especially if it was young then there will probably be more young ones from the same ooth around. They're good at hiding. It's possible to see just one, but from experience I usually find a handful of l3-l4 nymphs hanging out in the same general...

I found a Carolina last week with the same problem, except her leg is nowhere near severe and rather looks like she has an extra joint. I'm quite sure I've read posts about mantises molting with just one leg, so hopefully if provided with an easy-to-grip mesh our one-legged bugs should be able...