Can they breed?

[H_Ercule_S]

My mantises are about to both have wings, I think they're called regulious? The common name is European mantis. They are opposite genders and they both socialize on the same area outside their individual enclosures, under close supervision considering we started with 3 in one tank and we have a cat, so they are aware of opposite genders and I assume they'd mate if given the chance. Both of them are only around 2 inches long, however. Will this cause any problems with oothecae considering all of the other female mantises I've seen in the wild can get nearly 5 inches in length? Only a week passed after capturing them before we stopped seeing that sized mantis, being in captivity appears to have severely stunted their growth even though they most likely eat more than wild mantises. Also to cut down on unnecessary posts, how many oothecae can be hatched in a 10 gallon tank?

 

[Rick]

The larger ones you are referring to are likely T. sinenses (Chinese mantis) but even those don't get anywhere near 5". When your M. religiosa reaches adulthood they should be able to mate assuming you have a pair.

I would only hatch one ooth in a 10 gallon aquarium. M. religiosa can lay quite large ooths.

 

[Domanating]

5 inches? You found Godzilla mantis for sure and it's not the species you're keeping.

2 - 2.4 inches are about the right size for a full grown male.

As for females it stands around 2.3 - 2.8 inches.

That said I found exceptions. I've seen both genders being smaller than the sizes I mentioned but also seen males reaching around 2.7 inches. However, I never seen any mantis of this species passing 2.8.

You can mate them but I suggest only doing so close to September. It may be different where you live but I always had trouble mating mine earlier than that.

 

[LAME]

The larger ones you are referring to are likely T. sinenses (Chinese mantis) but even those don't get anywhere near 5". When your M. religiosa reaches adulthood they should be able to mate assuming you have a pair.

I would only hatch one ooth in a 10 gallon aquarium. M. religiosa can lay quite large ooths.

Actually Rick, my first mantis (Echo.) stood a good 4 and a half inches... That is assuming that you also included her antenna (I'm guessing most do in the hobby?) and she was a tenodera sinenses.

 

[mantisman 230]

Nah, we measure from the front of the head to the wingtips

 

[LAME]

Then giffins are not 5 inches either

Echo is 4 inches without antenna. She's as big as both of my current griffin females.

 

[Rick]

Then giffins are not 5 inches either

Echo is 4 inches without antenna. She's as big as both of my current griffin females.

Largest one I ever found I measured and it was 4" so that is plausible. 5? No.

 

[mantisman 230]

I have had a massive female in the past that was 4 and 3/4 inches, but I have never seen one as large as her ever again.

 

[H_Ercule_S]

I see about a dozen mantises every day working in a garden center, the females I am finding within the past couple weeks can cover my entire palm and extend onto my thumb. Being an avid trout fisher I have come to realize my palm when expanded is 7.5 inches from pinky tip to thumb tip, legal keeping size for rainbows here is 8 inches. Without a ruler I can't be sure but they are all very large religiosa.

 

[Domanating]

I see about a dozen mantises every day working in a garden center, the females I am finding within the past couple weeks can cover my entire palm and extend onto my thumb. Being an avid trout fisher I have come to realize my palm when expanded is 7.5 inches from pinky tip to thumb tip, legal keeping size for rainbows here is 8 inches. Without a ruler I can't be sure but they are all very large religiosa.

Next time you see one of those, take a picture

 

[LAME]

Yeah I would love to see these!

 

[mantisman 230]

Yeah, pictures or they don't exist

 

[H_Ercule_S]

Woops forgot about this post XD. Best pic I have right now, I'll get a way better one when she hasn't just finished her fourth cricket and when I'm not falling asleep.