mantid info wanted

[beginner entomologist]

I'm soon getting 2 subadult violin mantids and a S. Limbata ooth. I'm planning on hooking a heat lamp to a 29 gallon aquarium and placing smaller containers inside the aquarium. A 10 gallon for the two violins and a 5 gallon for the ooth. Of course when the ooth hatches I will separate the nymphs.

I have a few questions:

1. Can I use a damp paper towel as substrate to help raise the humidity?

2. I understand that Violin mantids prefer flying food, but I already have a few large colonies of various species of roach. If I use some forceps to wave the roaches in front of them will they take it?

Any other tips will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Emile.Wilson]

1. Yes, that will work.

2. Mine don't accept anything but flies, and wont take them if I hand feed them, You might want to purchase some fly pupae.

 

[PhilinYuma]

1) It will work, but you'll spend a lot of time rewetting the paper. Put a couple of rubbermaid bowls in there containing wet peat moss (but with no free water on top of the moss). That will maintain the humidity with fewer replenishments. Buy an inexpensive humidor hygrometer oif you want to keep a close eye on the humidity.

2) Agree with Emile. Don't try to save money on feeders. "Flower" mantids need to have a lot of flying insects, houseflies, BBs, bees, available for them to snack on prn.

Are you getting a sexed M and F?

 

[Rick]

Once the ooth hatches it is best to keep the nymphs together until you get a number that you can manage. Isn't easy to seperate 50+ nymphs and then have to feed them individually.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Oops, I missed the S. limbata ooth. When they grow big enough, the nymphs will be very happy to take roaches.

 

[beginner entomologist]

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

Yes PhilinYuma, I'm getting a sexed M and F.

 

[bassist]

For the Gongylus make sure you have a lot of sticks or some netting on the sides of the tank or they won't be able to climb up very well if they go to the bottom.

 

[beginner entomologist]

Would they take the roaches if I tie one of their legs to a long strand of fishing line and swing it in front of them?

Sorry, I'm just trying to do what I can with what I have...

 

[yeatzee]

If I remember correctly the main reason to only feed violins flying insects had to do with the amount of protein they get from their food and how giving them a cricket/roach screws their egg making or something.

I can't remember so someone with more knowledge please jump in

 

[PhilinYuma]

I assume that you have been reading everything you can about this mantid's husbandry on this forum and saw Peter's comment about what happened when he tried to feed them with none flying insects. You appear to be new to mantis keeping and have chosen a notoriously difficult species to begin with. If you lose one nymph, your chances for breeding are gone. At least follow the experts advice and feed them flying insects!

 

[beginner entomologist]

I'm sorry if I offended you PhilinYuma.

I knew that crickets could cause problems but I did not know that roaches could. I thought the only reason why they wouldn't take roaches was because they didn't fly.

I'm going to order some pupa from mantisplace.com

How many would I need for just 2 violins? Would 100 pupa keep them busy for a week or two?

 

[bassist]

I'm sorry if I offended you PhilinYuma. I knew that crickets could cause problems but I did not know that roaches could. I thought the only reason why they wouldn't take roaches was because they didn't fly.

I'm going to order some pupa from mantisplace.com

How many would I need for just 2 violins? Would 100 pupa keep them busy for a week or two?

I recommend ordering maggots from http://jadabait.net/ and letting them pupate they last longer plus it's $13.50 for 1000 with free shipping.

 

[beginner entomologist]

Thanks bassist, I'll do that in the future.

For now I think the pupa will be my best shot. I should be getting the violins on Tuesday. That means I will need the flies right away.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I'm sorry if I offended you PhilinYuma. I knew that crickets could cause problems but I did not know that roaches could. I thought the only reason why they wouldn't take roaches was because they didn't fly.

I'm going to order some pupa from mantisplace.com

How many would I need for just 2 violins? Would 100 pupa keep them busy for a week or two?

No, you didn't offend me, merely irritated me.

Flower mantids react to (are stimulated by) the sound of insects flying, which they can hear. and their pattern in flight, which they can see. It may be that they would find a cockroach dangling from nylon thread the best thing since sliced bread, but you cannot afford even one loss. Were you to try roaches and find them to be of no use, you would stand a good chance, particularly at this time of year, of not being able to score any eclosed flies or BBs before yr nymphs died, particularly if you buy spikes, so I would think that you would go with the tried and true instead of experimenting with rare insects that you have never raised before. But from now on mate, so far as I am concerned, you are on yr own.