"Another 1st timer with Questions" Post

[NuclearMantis]

Greetings all. I'm glad I found this place. I live in Northern California, right near the Oregon border, and just caught a mantis today. This is only the second one up here I've seen, and both of this and the other one I saw were within two weeks of each other. I'm fairly sure from looking at pictures that it is a European Mantis. Currently it's residing in a large mason jar with saran wrap with air holes over the top. It's got two smallish sticks in there along with two sowbugs for food. I misted the inside of jar earlier so it's got moisture. I've done some reading online since I got it, but I've still got a few questions. I plan on visiting a pet store as soon as I can to ask them as well. Any help here is most appreciated.

Survival and Health Questions-

•Should I save it or release it back outside? I'd like to have it as a pet, but I've only seen the two and only recently, I don't want to impact their survival up here.

•What sort of living area should I give it, how often should I give it water, and how many and what kinds of bugs should I feed it?

•It was kind of dragging one of its rear legs behind it and kept falling on its back, but now it seems to be alright. Is it injured?

•Is the average indoor temperature (around 68F) alright for it and does it need to be more in the sun or not?

•How long until it stops tapping at the glass of the jar trying to get out and is that normal?

•How long should I wait before I try and handle it and how should I go about doing so? (Also, if I smoke a cigarette and then handle it, could nicotine residue on my hands be harmful to it?)

ID Questions-

•Am I correct in my ID of it? It's about 2 1/2 inches long, green with red along the edges and tips of the wings. It's legs are reddish as well. On the inside of each upper arm it has a black spot with smaller white spot inside it. The claw at the tip of the arm is yellow with a black tip.

•How can I tell for sure if it's a male or a female?

•Is there any way to determine, roughly, it's age?

Other questions-

•What are those little feeler-things above its claws?

•What should I name it?

Again, ANY help is greatly appreciated since this is not only my first interaction with any sort of mantid but it is also my first pet since I was a very young child. And those were fish.

Thanks again.

 

[buddhistsoldier88]

Greetings all. I'm glad I found this place. I live in Northern California, right near the Oregon border, and just caught a mantis today. This is only the second one up here I've seen, and both of this and the other one I saw were within two weeks of each other. I'm fairly sure from looking at pictures that it is a European Mantis. Currently it's residing in a large mason jar with saran wrap with air holes over the top. It's got two smallish sticks in there along with two sowbugs for food. I misted the inside of jar earlier so it's got moisture. I've done some reading online since I got it, but I've still got a few questions. I plan on visiting a pet store as soon as I can to ask them as well. Any help here is most appreciated.ID Questions-

•Am I correct in my ID of it? It's about 2 1/2 inches long, green with red along the edges and tips of the wings. It's legs are reddish as well. On the inside of each upper arm it has a black spot with smaller white spot inside it. The claw at the tip of the arm is yellow with a black tip.

•How can I tell for sure if it's a male or a female?

•Is there any way to determine, roughly, it's age?

Other questions-

•What are those little feeler-things above its claws?

•What should I name it?

Again, ANY help is greatly appreciated since this is not only my first interaction with any sort of mantid but it is also my first pet since I was a very young child. And those were fish.

Thanks again.

Sounds like you have a European mantis and as to sexing you can read the post on sexing. As to age, because this one has wings it is an adult. The little feelers on the claws are actually the feet same as any other but mantids have evolved to catch bugs with the front feet so it has changed over the years. As to a name most dont but its up to you. Hope I helped!

-BS88 (Adam)

 

[OGIGA]

If you post a photograph, we can tell you for certain if it is male or female. Fat abdomen is usually female and skinny abdomen is usually male.

 

[Rick]

Please make an introduction in the introductions forum. Try the search feature for your basic questions as they have been answered many times.

 

[Hypoponera]

If you smoke, DON'T handle your mantid until after you have washed up! Nicotine is highly toxic and only tiny amounts will kill a mantid.

•Should I save it or release it back outside? I'd like to have it as a pet, but I've only seen the two and only recently, I don't want to impact their survival up here.

You can keep it if you want it as a pet. You can also pick up several here as well. Check out the "buy/sell" section!

What sort of living area should I give it, how often should I give it water, and how many and what kinds of bugs should I feed it?

Keep it in a pet tank with screen or cheese cloth over the top. Put a layer of paper towel on the bottom of the tank. Add some sticks. Mist every other day and keep at room temp. Feed it moths, flies and/or crickets. You can get the flies on line and crickets at the pet store. Adult males don't eat very much though females are still eating machines!

•It was kind of dragging one of its rear legs behind it and kept falling on its back, but now it seems to be alright. Is it injured?

Chances are that your mantid is litteraly on it's last legs. If not, let it be. As long as it is still catching and eating things, it will do fine.

•How long until it stops tapping at the glass of the jar trying to get out and is that normal?

That is normal and will not change until it is in much larger tank. Even then, it will still be skitish and try to escape! You can handle the mantid at any time, though it will try to escape Also, a male will probably try to fly away. So be prepared!

 

[NuclearMantis]

Thanks to everyone for your input. Sorry if this isn't the usual method of introduction, when I made my first post I was somewhat pressed for time.

Adam: Thanks for the info, but what is SPAM? (Aside from a canned meat product or unsolicited advertisements that is.)

OGIGA: I plan on getting a decent photograph once I get my camera operational again. It seems to have a fairly skinny abdomen. Doesn't the number of segments on its end also tell you?

Rick: This post was not meant to serve as an introduction but more giving a newbie some pointers. Nonetheless, I do apologize for posting a topic that I'm sure has been up here a million times before.

Hypoponera: Thanks for the info about the cigarettes, I don't want to wipe out my new buddy.

I also want to check my local pet stores, just in case I ever want more.

Thanks for the housing and handling tips!

Once again, thanks to you all.

One more question though, it's been about 24 hours of him in the mason jar. It hasn't eaten either of the sowbugs and doesn't seem to move much other than when I move the jar or it grooms itself. Well, maybe not, as I type it's back at trying to climb out again. Still though, how often do they usually eat?

 

[hibiscusmile]

They usually eat any time something is offered. It is new to the jar, so it is probably a little scared and confused, he can see thru it, but the clearness is hard! Never ran into clear before :lol: he's probably thinkin. (I know Rick he probably can't think) What you need it to give him a fly or a cricket, grasshopper, (please no hind legs on cricket or grasshopper) or turn on the outside light at night and catch him a couple of big moths. He will eat any of these things, but probably not what you already gave him. Spray him with some water from a clean sprayer. Warm water, don't want shock the life out of him :lol: If yu can find him something bigger even if it is a shoe box on end with a screen hot glued over it. You can cut out a hole in the back for entry until you get him a home. Leave enough of the cut out to be a hinge and just tape it closed. Give him a stick and the flying bugs and he will be ok!

 

[OGIGA]

OGIGA: I plan on getting a decent photograph once I get my camera operational again. It seems to have a fairly skinny abdomen. Doesn't the number of segments on its end also tell you?

Yes. Most species, males have 8 segments and females have 6 segments. You can find out a lot of stuff using the search feature.