I'm a middle school science teacher and my 6th grade class is raising 9 (now only 8, sadly) Ghost Mantises in the classroom.
I raised mantises as a kid in Maine (we caught them in the field) and I'm sure they were part of why I became a science teacher! I would like to connect with other mantids fans in the area, so please get in touch. (Note: I am new to online forums (fora?) so please be patient.
I've raised Chinese mantises in the classroom before, however they "expired" before school got out. I need some info on life span of these guys - Phyllocrania paradoxa_ we got them in Nov 2015 as 3-4th instar. Almost all have wings at this point, maybe 2 are still sub adult. We were surprised to find an ootheca in one of the cages earlier this week (immaculate conception? Pseudo egg case? dry run?)
My basic question is whether I need to plan for mantis care after school gets out in June?
Any advice or ideas from experienced mantid fans would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jinda R.
Middle School Science Teacher
Redmond, WA
I raised mantises as a kid in Maine (we caught them in the field) and I'm sure they were part of why I became a science teacher! I would like to connect with other mantids fans in the area, so please get in touch. (Note: I am new to online forums (fora?) so please be patient.
I've raised Chinese mantises in the classroom before, however they "expired" before school got out. I need some info on life span of these guys - Phyllocrania paradoxa_ we got them in Nov 2015 as 3-4th instar. Almost all have wings at this point, maybe 2 are still sub adult. We were surprised to find an ootheca in one of the cages earlier this week (immaculate conception? Pseudo egg case? dry run?)
My basic question is whether I need to plan for mantis care after school gets out in June?
- I think I could find a few students willing to adopt a mantis pet. The kids are getting pretty good about handling the flies, cleaning cages, etc.,
- However, I feel I need to have a reliable information so I can tell students and their folks at home just what to expect when caring for a mantid. (Plus I need to know in case I end up caring for 8 mantises !)
Any advice or ideas from experienced mantid fans would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jinda R.
Middle School Science Teacher
Redmond, WA