Chinese nymph/ooth questions

[silence]

I have wanted to keep mantises for some time and I thought before I try the exotics I would start with the "easier" species, so I ordered a couple each of chinese/european/carolina ooths a few weeks back, took 2 weeks for them to get here!?, They just got here thursday and one of the chinese cases hatched in the mail, most were dead but a few were alive, however the next day more had hatched! I planned to keep groups in 32oz cups for a wile then thin them out, but I am having a bit of a hard time with it, I tried putting paper towel in the cups to keep up the humidity, but a lot got stuck under it and died, and they seem to be very active with many not interested in the mel ffs? Mainly what I am wondering is;

How many can I put in a 32oz or so cup until they start molting?

How do you feed/spray them with them always on the lid? er coffee filter lol.

Would vermiculite be a good substrate to keep up the humidity?

Is there a good chance the shipping time has killed the carolina/european ooths? I kept them dry the last few days as I thought they needed a lot of airflow, but sprayed them today and will try to hot glue them to the container lids tomorrow and keep the humidity higher.

 

[Rick]

I normally use something larger to keep the whole batch in together until I have about 15 or so left and then I separate into 32 oz cups individually. But you could put a few in one 32 oz cup. I'd put in a little excelsior or other item so they have more perches. You will have cannibalism. They generally don't eat for a few days after hatching. A trip in the mail could kill an ooth if it got too hot but it is unlikely. I cut a small hole in the side of my 32 oz cups and block it with a foam plug. Use the hole for feeding and watering. You can use many things for a substrate. Paper towels are easiest. You can hot glue them down to prevent nymphs from getting under it.

 

[happy1892]

There are many exotic mantids that are easier to keep than those mantids but Carolina Mantids are very easy. Chinese Mantids are hard to grow and I have heard that European Mantids are like that too. Sphodromantis species are very easy and aggressive predators (they are very eager to eat anything small enough or sometimes too big) and they do fine when it is about like 68 degrees and they do not mismolt often and they are big and they do not need a lot of water but they could do well if they are misted more than enough. They are still easy I think. If you have many or or and do not have enough room I would put 5 nymphs in each 32oz container when they are L1 and 3 in each one when they are L2 and then when they are L3 one in each one container. I would feed them like

. I have heard that L1 Chinese Mantis nymphs can eat Drosophila hydei fruit flies. Wait two days after they hatch then give them some fruit flies. I did very well in growing Carolina Mantis nymphs from L1 to adult with just a 32oz container for each one and a mesh lid for each one and a mister and Drosophila melanogaster for the L1 and L2 nymphs and Drosophila hydei and little crickets for L3 to L6 nymphs and adult crickets and Blue Bottle Flies and House Flies and other insects about the same size as those to feed them. You cannot keep a big Chinese Mantis in a 32oz container but maybe one could live in a 80oz container? This might not be the cheapest place to buy them from. You could keep an adult European Mantis or an adult Carolina Mantis in a 32oz container and they might do alright. They might get black spots in their eyes because mine do if they are kept in small containers and they rub against the plastic when they try to go through it with their eyes. I rarely misted my Stagmomantis carolina after they were L3 and only one mismolted (I live in a humid area). I guess they would do better if they were misted lightly every 5 days than if they were not misted at all L1 to L2. I caught a young Chinese Mantis nymph recently, maybe L2 when I caught him. I keep him in a 32oz container and I mist him once in a while. He molted once in the container and he seems to be doing well. Sorry if this is confusing. :blush:

 

[happy1892]

These mantids I know are easy to keep.

Ghost Mantids

Budwing Mantids

Creobroter species

Sphodromantis species

Many or all Hierodula species

Pseudoharpax virescens (can be kept together if fed enough)

There are many more that are very easy to keep and breed.