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These are a great native species. If you’re lucky that female may lay an ootheca on sticks in the terrarium. As for food, you could still try to trap flies with a funnel trap. They fly in surprisingly cool temperatures.

You can keep the ootheca in a jar with a cloth or paper towel over the lid held on with a rubber band. Keep it out on your patio to overwinter naturally. Mist it every once in a while to keep it from drying out. Nymphs should hatch once it gets warm enough again in your area. Good luck.

Mantises only live a few months. It sounds like you found one very near the end of its life. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to help it.

I set my cups on a dish of diatomaceous earth, which is basically microscopic shards of glass. If mites crawl over it, they die. Starting new cultures quicker than the mites can complete their life cycle is also important. It is a much bigger problem when mites get into my ant colonies. I have...

This is the best care sheet I’ve found. Click on the pdf link to get the full document. I also recommend reading through the blog on the site: https://www.smug-bug.com/services I can’t recommend zebra isopods (Armadillidium maculatum) enough! They are relatively cheap, very attractive, easy to...

Welcome back!

To attract any insects, the key is to plant a wide variety of native plants. Native shrubs and bushes would provide good shelter for a mantis. Research what grows well in your area and head to some plant sales in the spring!

Probably fungus gnats. Reduce waterings to let the substrate dry out a bit. Mix Mosquito Bits into any future water you use to hydrate the setup. Also put yellow sticky traps near it.

Rehousing is not necessary given your description.

I’ve never had any issues using heat cables on shelves or acrylic. They don’t get that hot.

Don’t heat with lights. Get a Zoomed 15 watt heat cable instead.

I raised my ghost in an enclosure even bigger than yours, so he’ll be totally fine either way. Also, are you sure its a male already?

Awesome Ghost and cool name! The main benefit of a small enclosure will be that it will find food quicker. Good luck!

RIP Minty!

That looks like an excellent design. The ghost I had last year seemed innately drawn to bark, probably to help its camouflage.

I own a light like that, and it does not put out heat. Order a 15 watt heat cable from Zoomed instead.

Awesome!

Amazing animal and painting! I raised five of this species this year. None had such a lovely green color.

Welcome!

I bet they are dermestid beetle larvae. These get into some insect breeder’s bins, or they might be put on purpose as a clean up crew.