Hello from Kentucky!

[ky_mantis]

Hello

I live in Central Kentucky and the wife and I recently befriended a Carolina mantis when I found her outside on her back from the cold. I brought her home and kept her for about a week and kinda fell in love. We are both facinated on how interactive and engaging she was. 

We ended up releasing her back out into the world because she really did not like the inside of a half gallon Mason jar. 

Anyway, I've really been bitten by the bug (pun intended )and would like to get a mantis as a pet. Found this forum while researching. Glad to be here.

I've included a pic if her when she was released. 

 

[Ocelotbren]

Welcome to the forum!  Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that is actually a Chinese mantis.

Do you know what species you want to get?

 

[ky_mantis]

I'd like to start with a Ghost or possibly Flower mantis. 

She may have been Chinese but she looked like pics of the Carolina I saw too. I'm a complete noon so my chances of being wrong are quite high. Here's a better shot of her

 

[Connor]

Welcome to the forum! Ghosts are a great species to start with.

Looks like a Chinese to me.

 

[ky_mantis]

Thanks for letting me know it is a Chinese.

Where's a good, reliable place to get my first mantis? I've visited a few sites, but I'm not sure which ones would be best for someone like me who's starting out.

 

[Connor]

My favorite website is @DeShawn‘s mantidkingdom.com. He is reliable and has amazing prices. Highly recommend.

 

[ky_mantis]

I actually got on the waiting list for ghost mantis there. Hoping to get fruit flies there also, but I think I read he doesn't offer them anymore?

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Welcome to the forum. Chinese mantis for sure.

 

[DeShawn]

I have some ghosts available now actually, just not posted for sale on the website yet.  I will send you a PM.

 

[Rick]

Welcome

S. carolina is about three times smaller than that adult female Tenodera you have there. 

 

[hibiscusmile]

Welcome, they are all right, she is chinese.

 

[ky_mantis]

Welcome

S. carolina is about three times smaller than that adult female Tenodera you have there. 

She was a big girl. Big fat belly. 

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

awe you let her go, shes probably off to go mate.

 

[callisto9]

We found our first Carolina mantis late this summer and we brought her indoors and kept her. She's been an awesome pet and we let her out to roam around every now and again. Here's a pic: 

 

[Okoboji22]

Mantises are like Potato chips, you can't just have one. Anyways, a couple of good begginer mantises would be ghosts, things like hierodula, sphodromantis, and rhombodera (all of which are big, green, agressive, holdable, and the rhombodera gets a leaf shield on its thorax). Some sellers I recommend would be panterrapets, bugs in cyberspace, and mantid kingdom.

 

[ky_mantis]

Mantises are like Potato chips, you can't just have one. Anyways, a couple of good begginer mantises would be ghosts, things like hierodula, sphodromantis, and rhombodera (all of which are big, green, agressive, holdable, and the rhombodera gets a leaf shield on its thorax). Some sellers I recommend would be panterrapets, bugs in cyberspace, and mantid kingdom.

So true. I have 3 Ghost and a Spiny Flower on the way from Mantid Kingdom (thanks for the great deal DeShawn). Can't wait to get them.