Hello from Tennessee!

[eat.moss]

Hi! I'm about to purchase my first-ever mantis and I can't wait!! I'm 18 and from Tennessee, and absolutely adore insects but have never gotten to own any before now! let me know if you have any advice !

 

[agent A]

welcome!
what kind of mantis u thinkin of gettin?

 

[eat.moss]

welcome!
what kind of mantis u thinkin of gettin?

Thanks! I'm hoping for a Hierodula majuscula, I think they're so neat! I'm worried about accidentally squishing a smaller species lol !

 

[agent A]

Thanks! I'm hoping for a Hierodula majuscula, I think they're so neat! I'm worried about accidentally squishing a smaller species lol !

ah. I know someone who is selling those
personally I like the smaller species more. in general, they require less space and eat a lot less, and tend to be prettier
how small would you want to go? many species are pretty tiny during the first several weeks of life
Hierodula, Sphodromantis, Polyspilota, and Rhombodera are decent, large beginner species
I will also caution you about excessive handling of a mantis. very easy way to stress/injure them

 

[eat.moss]

ah. I know someone who is selling those
personally I like the smaller species more. in general, they require less space and eat a lot less, and tend to be prettier
how small would you want to go? many species are pretty tiny during the first several weeks of life
Hierodula, Sphodromantis, Polyspilota, and Rhombodera are decent, large beginner species
I will also caution you about excessive handling of a mantis. very easy way to stress/injure them

i was originally gonna get a larger species but didn't want to buy a new enclosure- I have a 10 gal bioactive tank I was hoping to use, and heard that big tanks were bad for small mantises! And yeah I'm not planning on handling much! )

 

[agent A]

i was originally gonna get a larger species but didn't want to buy a new enclosure- I have a 10 gal bioactive tank I was hoping to use, and heard that big tanks were bad for small mantises! And yeah I'm not planning on handling much! )

I mean I wouldn't use such a giant tank for most things, though you could have a good setup with a group of Phyllocrania or Odontomantis in there
I won't discourage you from using such a big tank but if you get real serious about this you'll quickly run out of room using such large enclosures

 

[eat.moss]

I mean I wouldn't use such a giant tank for most things, though you could have a good setup with a group of Phyllocrania or Odontomantis in there
I won't discourage you from using such a big tank but if you get real serious about this you'll quickly run out of room using such large enclosures

Gotcha! As of rn I’m only going to have one mantis, but I’ll def keep that in mind if I expand! Do you think that would be detrimentally big for a hierodula?

 

[agent A]

Gotcha! As of rn I’m only going to have one mantis, but I’ll def keep that in mind if I expand! Do you think that would be detrimentally big for a hierodula?

depends on how stuffy it is and what you feed it

 

[hibiscusmile]

welcome