Howdy from Texas

[proserpina]

Hello! My name is Cleo and I'm (as the title mentions) from El Paso, Texas.

I haven't had a lot of hands-on experiences with mantises, seeing as how I don't see very many at all. I have a cat colony who I feed and they probably have eaten the mantises around my house :/ But when I was in elementary school, in what I think was 6th grade, I found a little mantis nymph and was so excited! Unfortunately it hopped off my finger but I've been fascinated by mantises ever since, I think they're utterly adorable and very charming creatures.

I'm a full-time undergraduate student who suffers from an anxiety disorder and needs something to funnel my attention to and mantises seem like the perfect outlet for me. I'm planning to buy a few species once I can get some fruit fly cultures and little enclosures for the nymphs. I registered here because I've never owned a mantis and wanted to be in a community that would be able to answer questions I might have.

I'm super excited to get into this hobby and very glad to have found this place! I look forward to becoming a member of this community!

 

[Serle]

Greetings & Happy N.Y. ... 

 

[CosbyArt]

Hello Cleo and welcome to the forum

The fruit flies are not needed unless you get some really young instars L1 to L3 (depending on the species). Your best bet is to ask the seller what prey the nymphs are eating so you know what is the appropriate sized prey to get for them, and find out their instar (and keep track as it molts).

A rough prey outline for instars of the more common larger mantid species...

• L1 - The smaller Melanogaster fruit flies
  
• L2 - L3 - The larger Hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets
  
• L4 - L5 - Houseflies and small crickets
  
• L6 - L7 - Bottle flies and medium crickets
  
• L8 (Adulthood) - Bottle flies, medium/large crickets, cockroaches, black soldier flies, wax moths, etc.
  

Again it just depends on the species, as some need the tiny springtails at L1 before fruit flies even, and even as adults some can only prey on houseflies and small crickets - while others have been known to feed on humming birds in the wild. Take a look at the caresheets for advice on particular species care and feeding. If you have any questions feel free to ask as well.

 

[Sarah K]

Welcome!

 

[proserpina]

Hello Cleo and welcome to the forum

The fruit flies are not needed unless you get some really young instars L1 to L3 (depending on the species). Your best bet is to ask the seller what prey the nymphs are eating so you know what is the appropriate sized prey to get for them, and find out their instar (and keep track as it molts).

A rough prey outline for instars of the more common larger mantid species...

• L1 - The smaller Melanogaster fruit flies
  
• L2 - L3 - The larger Hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets
  
• L4 - L5 - Houseflies and small crickets
  
• L6 - L7 - Bottle flies and medium crickets
  
• L8 (Adulthood) - Bottle flies, medium/large crickets, cockroaches, black soldier flies, wax moths, etc.
  

Again it just depends on the species, as some need the tiny springtails at L1 before fruit flies even, and even as adults some can only prey on houseflies and small crickets - while others have been known to feed on humming birds in the wild. Take a look at the caresheets for advice on particular species care and feeding. If you have any questions feel free to ask as well.

Thank you so much for letting me know! I've heard that ghost mantids are pretty small, so I was planning to feed them fruit flies until they got a little bigger. I'm going to write down that outline for the other mantises!! Thank you so much. I'm so glad I joined this forum, right off the bat I'm getting very valuable information.

Hello to everyone!

 

[CosbyArt]

Thank you so much for letting me know! I've heard that ghost mantids are pretty small, so I was planning to feed them fruit flies until they got a little bigger. I'm going to write down that outline for the other mantises!! Thank you so much. I'm so glad I joined this forum, right off the bat I'm getting very valuable information.

Hello to everyone!

Ghosts (Phyllocrania paradoxa) are great for beginners too, and one of my favorites - here is their caresheet. Two great online sites to buy Ghosts from are BugsInCyberspace and MantisPlace.

A mantid instar prey guide for Ghosts would look like this...

• L1 - Melanogaster or Hydei fruit flies
  
• L2 - Hydei fruit flies or pinhead crickets
  
• L3 - Houseflies, stable flies, and similarly sized crickets (1/4" or less)
  
• L4 - Bottle flies, houseflies, and small crickets
  
• L5 - L7 - Bottle flies, small/medium crickets, small cockroaches
  
• L8 (adult) - Bottle flies, medium/large crickets, cockroaches, black soldier flies, wax moths, etc.
  

You can offer smaller prey to larger instars, they will just require more feeders of course. Just avoid feeding too large of prey as the mantids will not eat them, and in the case of crickets can turn the tables and eat the Ghost.

For how many to feed that depends on the mantid. I simply feed them enough that it keeps their abdomen plump/rounded (not ballooned though). It is easier than it sounds and in a few feedings will become apparent how much to feed.

As the Ghosts do well at room temperatures no heat is necessary (65-85F temperature range), but I tend to keep mine about 75F as it keeps them active. For humidity you will need to mist their container once every other day typically.

Using a spray bottle mist the habitat itself (not the Ghost) enough that the water evaporates in 30 minutes or less. The Ghost will sometimes drink the water drops, but it primarily to keep the humidity level at a safe level (they prefer 50%, but is said 40-70% is a tolerable range) - as the Ghost gets the majority of it's water from it's prey.

 

[proserpina]

Wow, I knew about MantisPlace but not BugsInCyberspace :0 They have the nymphs I'm looking for! I'm definitely ordering from there, thank you so much for the info! I was already planning to buy some Hydei fruit flies for the L2s if I get them and I'm going to buy some house flies for them. Thank you so much CosbyArt!!

 

[CosbyArt]

@proserpina Great to hear, and Peter the owner of BugsInCyberspace (and our forum too) is the best. Your welcome, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[Zeppy44]

Heyas and welcome.

 

[Rick]

Welcome

 

[proserpina]

Hello to everyone! Thank you for welcoming me 

 

[hibiscusmile]

WElcome Tex

 

[JoJo76]

Welcome ^_^