5 legged mantis

[beckyl92]

I woke up this morning and noticed that one of my female ghost mantids has a missing leg

how could this of happened? I keep her with another female and they don't really seem to fight and I mist them 2-3 times a day (temp 25C) so I know its not humidity.

 

[Rick]

The other one probably tried to eat her. All mantids will eat another mantis it's just some do better together than others. And you mist way too much. Sometimes they get them caught and they either chew them off or they break off. Low humidity isn't gonna make a leg fall off.

 

[beckyl92]

The other one probably tried to eat her. All mantids will eat another mantis it's just some do better together than others. And you mist way too much. Sometimes they get them caught and they either chew them off or they break off. Low humidity isn't gonna make a leg fall off.

hmm i think ill just go with the 32oz cups

i always thought it looked mean because of the small space but i realised its a easy cheap way to keep them were they have easy access to food. i havent seen any of them eat in about 4 days..

 

[lynneowen1]

It will grow back in a couple of molts though ..

 

[Rick]

hmm i think ill just go with the 32oz cups i always thought it looked mean because of the small space but i realised its a easy cheap way to keep them were they have easy access to food. i havent seen any of them eat in about 4 days..

Well of course the mantis has to fit the container. You wouldn't put an adult shield mantis in a 32 oz cup but ghosts do just fine in them.

 

[beckyl92]

Well of course the mantis has to fit the container. You wouldn't put an adult shield mantis in a 32 oz cup but ghosts do just fine in them.

yeah im going shopping today so ill buy some. would kitchen roll/tissue be fine for the roof held on by an elastic band? i dunno were to buy that netting stuff what breeders use.

 

[lynneowen1]

Just use a old bit of net curtin lol..

 

[Rick]

yeah im going shopping today so ill buy some. would kitchen roll/tissue be fine for the roof held on by an elastic band? i dunno were to buy that netting stuff what breeders use.

The 32 oz deli cups most of us use are actually designed for insects. They come with a vented lid.

 

[revmdn]

Check out MantisPlace.com. She's a wonderful member of this forum. All the supplies you will ever need.

 

[Ghozt]

Well of course the mantis has to fit the container. You wouldn't put an adult shield mantis in a 32 oz cup but ghosts do just fine in them.

LOL !

Good call on that !

Always make it 2x the length of the mantis.

 

[kamakiri]

i havent seen any of them eat in about 4 days..

...Then it was probably eaten by one of its container mates. If the nearest food to a ghost is a sibling...a sibling it will eat. Especially if relatively thin and after a few days without eating.

 

[PhilinYuma]

...Then it was probably eaten by one of its container mates. If the nearest food to a ghost is a sibling...a sibling it will eat. Especially if relatively thin and after a few days without eating.

Alas, Grant, this is a 7 month old thread from back when BeckyL was still keeping Mantids.