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I like this idea. Forget the other ingredients. The OP can get some crickets, kill them, make them into a paste, and smoother the paste onto a tiny robot that will get the mantid's attention.

Here's an interesting paper on prehistoric mantids (with some diagrams, illustrations, fossils, and a whole lot of scientific jargon): http://www.terratrea...us Mantises.pdf

I really can't imagine a mantis taking well to it. Dogs, ferrets, and pot-bellied pigs = yes Mantids = no

On the subject of drying, would it affect the dead mantid's colors if I were to put it under a 60 watt red heat bulb (or inside a box that's positioned under the bulb)? If so, for how long? I'm thinking I should dry them out before they start to decompose.

Thanks for the replies. Seeing that the mantids I want to preserve are Tenodera, Parasphendale, and Sphodromantis, I guess size 2 pins would work just fine.

I plan on pinning my mantids after they kick the bucket, and displaying them in shadow boxes. I've searched online, and I see that there are different sizes for the insect pins. I've never had them preserved before, so what would you guys say is the best size for large adult mantids such as...

I find it interesting that two of my T. sinensis always molt on the exact same day as each other. They always do this a few days later than one of their siblings, which is a bit ahead of them.

Thanks! Many of those old sci-fi movies are hard to forget!

Compared to my Budwings and Sphodromantis lineola, my chinese are easily the most active. I find them to be more nervous as well. The budwings are the calmest, most sedentary mantids I've kept yet. All of my mantids are L5-L7, so maybe their activity level will change as they grow.

If you're asking about the butterfly cages, you can order them here: http://www.livemonarch.com/store_enclosures.php As for the smaller ones I mentioned, they're fish breeder cages which I was thinking about modifying for keeping mantids. I have a link to it on post #4 They're only about a...

Rick's sig. I can imagine a mantis trying for a while to catch it!

Thanks. That does make sense. While I was thinking about this, I was comparing them to tarantulas (which do take several days at least to harden). But tarantulas do have their burrows and funnel webs to molt in.

How long should I wait to feed a mantis after it molts? I was thinking that I should give them a few days before feeding, but I read on some sites that I can start feeding them again 24 hours after. Does the exoskeleton really harden up again after only 1 day? Thanks for any advice.

I'm definitely happy with my purchase from kitkat. Communication, packaging, everything was top of the notch. The mantids all arrived in perfect condition. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him again. He is indeed a generous seller.

Thanks for the replies. After looking into different things, I think I'm just going to get three 10 gallon tanks that I have stored and divide each in half. For now, they'll be living in the 32 oz deli cups.

They look like alligator lizards to me too (baby ones anyway).

Yeah, it would be positioned so that it's 10" tall. The enclosures are in fact fish net breeders. I'm still having a tough time thinking about how to cover the open side with something that's see-through, but that can also open...

I'm thinking about getting some mesh enclosures for the mantids that I'm going to receive. They're 10"x6"x6" in size. The mantids that I'm getting are Sphodromantis lineola, budwings, and chinese. I've read about the rule of thumb being the height of the enclosure must be 3x the current length...

I'm looking to get some nymphs of Parasphendale affinis and/or Cilnia humeralis (I'll buy some Tenodera aridifolia sinensis too). I figured I would check here first to see if any members are selling them before ordering from another place. Thanks!

Thanks for that link. I'm thinking about ordering a small one.