Beginner Mantis? Advanced keepers?

[ladyarcana55]

Hi everyone!

When I was doing my research on keeping mantids I saw that some species were  described as 'good beginner mantis' and others were described as 'for advanced keepers'.

I am wondering, what makes a beginner mantis and what makes a mantis for advanced keepers? I assume that it refers to challenges in keeping them but what are those challenges?

 

[River Dane]

Beginner mantids are pretty tolerant of many conditions. Chinese mantises were so successful in the wild because they can handle almost any environment. Beginner species basically just don’t require much specific care. You can give them a house, food, and maybe even an occasional, light misting, and you’re done. Advanced species need a little more attention and equipment.

Devil’s flower mantises (Idolos) and violin mantises, for example, need high temperatures to molt properly, and dry environments. Orchid mantises need high humidity and warmer temperatures. They also need adequate air flow to prevent mold growing. Any mantis that needs high humidity needs to be given good ventilation to protect from mold. I’ve also heard Haania sp. can only survive in bioactive habitats, and still, most die.

Some mantids just can’t be kept by your average mantiskeeper. Toxodera and Choeradodis don’t exist in U.S. cultivation for a reason. 

Many species just have to be explored and studied more before we can figure out the perfect care routine for each Mantid.

 

[agent A]

creobroter, phyllocrania, popa, parasphendale, hierodula, pnigomantis, and sphodromantis are all easy to rear

odontomantis, most of the boxer spp, rhombodera, and stagmomantis are a bit harder but not horrible

then anything in the empusidae as well as the orchid mantises and some of the high-altitude tropical things (toxodera), eriamphilla, and deroplatys (mostly breeding issues) are real difficult

some of the cryptic stuff like acanthops and gonatista pose challenges too

 

[Serle]

The little Miomantis p.  , one of my favorites , are xtreemly easy to propagate ......... S

 

[Ocelotbren]

I think temperature, humidity and ventilation are the main things that make a species hard from what I understand, but I believe species that aren't too hard to raise but are difficult to successfully breed are referred to as more advanced species as well.  So if you don't intend to breed them, they could still be beginner or intermediate options.

 

[ladyarcana55]

Thanks everyone!

I appreciate the answers and your patience with me with my questions. But now I have another one that I will have to put up.