If mantids are aliens, I've been abducted

[tessdaterrible]

Hello, I figure you have collected that I'm new to this froum, but I'm also new to mantids care. I have a pair of Chinese mantid ooth siting politely on my desk, and I'm struggling to wait. I have 32 delicious cups waiting and 4 taller than wide 1 gal enclosures waiting to host. I intend to keep the prettiest and strongest of the lot only.

There is a ton of information out there and I'm having trouble deciding where to start getting deeper in. For example I keep reading that an Orchid Mantis would be a higher level of care, but it doesn't seem that difficult, higher humidity and heat, would be like keeping a reptile?

I have other more newbie questions like, how quickly do molts happen and what to watch for with them.

I picked the Chinese mantis to start with because everything says you can pretty much just leave them outside, little to no care needed to hatch and care for them. I did not realize how much I didn't know until I got here.

My ooth came gift wrapped?



I just slid them into an artificial plant, no heat or adhesive applied.

 

[HungryGhost]

Mantids are addicting - be warned. Also you have your oohs mounted upside down on the twigs.

 

[tessdaterrible]

Mantids are addicting - be warned. Also you have your oohs mounted upside down on the twigs.

hahha! Thats how they looked like they went, easy to switch since they are not mounted with anything. :blush:

 

[AxolotlsAreCoolToo]

Orchids are not so difficult to raise but i think mating them is tricky, getting female to lay is the most difficult i believe. Usually buying orchids is not worth it if your not breeding thats why its important to start with other species first until your comfortable with general mantis life cycle. Welcome to the hobby btw!

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Welcome to the hobby! Mantids can be quite addicting. There is lots of information on this forum, so I'm sure you'll learn a lot while you're here!

You do have that ootheca inside of something right? Because when they hatch...you don't want them crawling all over your house! :lol: And you can't release them this time of year - they'll die of the cold, even in Arizona. Come about April-May, they will be able to be released outside.

~Wolfie

 

[sally]

Welcome You could be looking at 400 mantis nymphs with whose two ooths... Hopefully you can release some if you are in Arizona.... Seeing a few pretty ones ounds like a plan.

 

[Rick]

Welcome You could be looking at 400 mantis nymphs with whose two ooths... Hopefully you can release some if you are in Arizona.... Seeing a few pretty ones ounds like a plan.

Welcome

Hopefully you DON'T release them. They are not native and likely outcompete and consume our wonderful native mantids.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Best to put the plants in a big container and start working from there. Did they tell u to mist the ooths a couple times a week? If not u need to. After they hatch within a day or two have your melanogaster fruit flies ready for feeding.

 

[bobericc]

In a wonderful place like arizone I would forget the Chinese and go out looking for unicorns

 

[tessdaterrible]

Welcome to the hobby! Mantids can be quite addicting. There is lots of information on this forum, so I'm sure you'll learn a lot while you're here!

You do have that ootheca inside of something right? Because when they hatch...you don't want them crawling all over your house! :lol: And you can't release them this time of year - they'll die of the cold, even in Arizona. Come about April-May, they will be able to be released outside.

~Wolfie

They are in a foot tall 6" wide 4" deep container.

Best to put the plants in a big container and start working from there. Did they tell u to mist the ooths a couple times a week? If not u need to. After they hatch within a day or two have your melanogaster fruit flies ready for feeding.

I havn't been misting, but I can start! I have some moist cotton balls in the bottom for moisture.

In a wonderful place like arizone I would forget the Chinese and go out looking for unicorns

I don't even know where to start! haha!

 

[Orin]

Glad to hear you've been abducted!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

ssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :helpsmilie:

 

[MandellaMandy123]

They are in a foot tall 6" wide 4" deep container.

Oh good! That sounds perfect.

Come summer, you will definitely want to spend some time looking for native mantids. There are a lot of great species in your area!

 

[aNisip]

Welcome from Florida!