Couple of Questions

[Shane95]

I'm planning on purchasing a Giant African Mantis (Sphrodomantis kersteni) which will be an L3 nymph.

Q1. How long/big is an L3 mantis ?

Q2. Can I put it straight into this enclosure I plan on buying http://goo.gl/zOQ6Sy (36.8 x 22.1 x 24.4 cm) or is that too big?

Q3. What can I feed it at this size? Is it possible to feed it small locusts/crickets/mealworms + any flies/moths around the house? I would rather feed these guys than fruit flies.

 

[Mantis Man13]

Answer 1: Since you said you wanted a female before it should be about an inch long,( one mm. smaller or a few mm. longer than an inch)

Answer 2: You can put the mantis straight into the enclosure, it is not too big as a mantis needs plenty of space to explore and you won't loose the mantis in it if you just put a few sticks with the leaves cut off the sticks in the cage. Like I said earlier, just put a paper towel at the bottom and rip it for the right size so it will fit. Put sticks in it as well, using a hot glue gun to make the sticks with no leaves on them stay on the sides. Also, hot glue the steel wire mesh onto the sides and also a small rectangular patch on the top of the cage where the fluorescent plastic is in the middle.

Answer 3: You will not need to feed the mantis fruit flies. Don't feed the mantis crickets or locusts, as I have heard many cases of bacteria from these insects killing mantises. You can feed the mantis flies, moths, small beetles, and meal worms. What I usually do is turn the light on outside at night so moths come to the light and you can easily catch the moths. To catch prey for the mantis just use a plastic ziploc bag. Make sure the insect you are feeding your mantis is not too big for the mantis to eat.

 

[Mantis Man13]

Go onto chat if you have any more questions, I am on right now.

 

[Rick]

Answer 3: You will not need to feed the mantis fruit flies. Don't feed the mantis crickets or locusts, as I have heard many cases of bacteria from these insects killing mantises. You can feed the mantis flies, moths, small beetles, and meal worms. What I usually do is turn the light on outside at night so moths come to the light and you can easily catch the moths. To catch prey for the mantis just use a plastic ziploc bag. Make sure the insect you are feeding your mantis is not too big for the mantis to eat.

This is just nonsense. Crickets are a fine food, especially for that species and locusts/grasshoppers are too if you can catch them.

The cage will work but I tend to steer people away from critter keeper type cages. That particular cage gives this species room to grow but you don't want to go too big as it means a mantis cannot find its food as easily resulting in you having to put in more food. L3 of this species should be too large for fruit flies but bluebottle flies would make a good choice. BB's are cheap and easy to deal with.

 

[Mantis Man13]

Why do people keep telling me that crickets and grasshoppers have toxins then? From my own experience I have fed wild crickets to my mantises and they have had watery feces, and then they have thrown up and died. I know it is a myth that crickets and grasshoppers are bad for a mantis, but that is only when they are captive raised. The ones in the wild eat whatever they can find, often with toxins in the things they eat. Crickets and grasshoppers also contain tapeworms. I can not tell you how many videos I have seen with a parasite worm coming out of a mantis killed by the parasite. Also, the mantis won't have trouble finding its food if you get tweezers and wave the prey around next to the mantis.

 

[Rick]

Why do people keep telling me that crickets and grasshoppers have toxins then? From my own experience I have fed wild crickets to my mantises and they have had watery feces, and then they have thrown up and died. I know it is a myth that crickets and grasshoppers are bad for a mantis, but that is only when they are captive raised. The ones in the wild eat whatever they can find, often with toxins in the things they eat. Crickets and grasshoppers also contain tapeworms. I can not tell you how many videos I have seen with a parasite worm coming out of a mantis killed by the parasite. Also, the mantis won't have trouble finding its food if you get tweezers and wave the prey around next to the mantis.

Classic case of 'don't believe everything you hear.' I've raised mantids on crickets for many years and can count on one hand the number of times I've had issues that MAY have been due to the crickets though there is not any proof. You get a lot of people here spouting off about how crickets are bad for mantids. I think the issue is more in the way the crickets are cared for than anything else. You have to care for your feeders just as well as your mantids.

I am pretty sure tapeworms (Cestoda) do not occur in insects in any of their life stages. You must be thinking of something else. Mantids can have parasites, yes, but it is probably pretty rare in captive bred mantids.

Yes, mantids in an overly large cage can be hand fed but not everybody has time for that, I know I don't.

 

[Mantis Man13]

what about horse hair parasites? also, are crickets that are wild safe?

 

[dmina]

I myself think that is where the difference is .. Wild food.. And home grown food.. IMHO I am trying to get as much of my feeder food.... Home grown

 

[Shane95]

This is just nonsense. Crickets are a fine food, especially for that species and locusts/grasshoppers are too if you can catch them.

I actually just planned on buying the locusts from the pet store. Locusts/grasshoppers are rare to find in my area and there are no crickets. I know wild are generally better for the mantis because they are gut-loaded and whatnot but it's not an option for me. I do plan on getting wild Blue bottles and other insects that I do actually have access to though. What are your thoughts on mealworms?

 

[dmina]

Myself I have tried mealworms for my mantis

But not one of my mantis have eaten a mealworms yet...

I can't say how other people do with mealworms

 

[soundspawn]

Myself I have tried mealworms for my mantis

But not one of my mantis have eaten a mealworms yet...

I can't say how other people do with mealworms

My guys love mealworms. Try to hand feed one, once they nibble the exoskeleton off and figure out what's inside for the first time - they won't leave them alone. They look like sword swallowers or a kid eating go-gurt

Just make sure the mantis is ready. Mealworms have some thrash to them, so you either want an aggressive hunter, a strongman, or at least a bunch of size on the mantids part. My favorite is the New Zealand, so strong, literally body slams the mealworms while eating them: http://garrettwusthoff.zenfolio.com/p800451667 (My friends zenfolio with a few of my little guys).

As for crickets, they are no problem at all here, but we feed them like kings. They eat fresh produce every day and have tons of egg crate (which keeps them from killing each other so not nearly as many dead bodies to deal with). Crickets are only a bad idea for "flying only" species - basically anyone communal (including diabolica).

 

[dmina]

Well I am gonna try hand feeding when I get home

Thanks again.. Great info

 

[Argusdad]

I think the issue is more in the way the crickets are cared for than anything else. You have to care for your feeders just as well as your mantids.

Well said.

 

[LAME]

I've also raised some of my own mantids on crickets, both wild and domesticated, also grasshoppers.

Along with Rick I've never really had any issues with sickness or death. Surely in the wild the have eaten worse.

Like it was previously stated, you've got to take care of your feeders like you do your pets... What happens when us as people eat meat from sick/ poorly kept cows? Or any other food... We get sick.

 

[Rick]

I actually just planned on buying the locusts from the pet store. Locusts/grasshoppers are rare to find in my area and there are no crickets. I know wild are generally better for the mantis because they are gut-loaded and whatnot but it's not an option for me. I do plan on getting wild Blue bottles and other insects that I do actually have access to though. What are your thoughts on mealworms?

Shane, I've never seen any locusts for sale but if they look good and are healthy they should be ok. Wild caught food is better in general but most people don't have time to catch all the food they need. I really like bluebottles. They are cheap and easy to care for. Many mantids can take them as well. Mealworms are okay but I don't think they are a good staple. I never use them for food but if I did I think they would be a supplemental food only.

 

[Shane95]

Shane, I've never seen any locusts for sale but if they look good and are healthy they should be ok. Wild caught food is better in general but most people don't have time to catch all the food they need. I really like bluebottles. They are cheap and easy to care for. Many mantids can take them as well. Mealworms are okay but I don't think they are a good staple. I never use them for food but if I did I think they would be a supplemental food only.

I buy locusts every week for my bearded dragon, I'll just have to buy one box of the smaller sized locusts for the mantis.

Mealworms are so cheap and easy to care for that I'll definitely use them as a supplement but I agree with you, they're not very nutritional compared to other feeders.