Mantids arrived! Questions, + Something very strange happened.

[Nicolas]

My two Chinese Mantids have finally arrived, much earlier than I had thought! 

So, I didn't really have enclosures prepared for them (which was kind of a bad idea but I thought I had an extra day) 

So I kind of scooped together some enclosures last minute. Do you think they will suffice for until they are larger?

Mantis #1 (The larger, female one)

Top view:

II

Is this well ventilated? I misted them both a bit as soon as I transferred them into their homes. The square holes at the top of the second image are halfway covered and halfway into the enclosure as well.

Mantis #2

S

So for this one, I took a smaller cup and covered it with the netting that came with the mantids and halfway covered it with a cardboard piece. 

These should hopefully both be fine, right? Thanks for answering!

Anyway, onto the strange thing. Not all mantids arrived alive... even though I ordered only two. Yes, that's right - there was another, third mantis that seemed to have died. Now, I only ordered two mantids, so it won't be a big issue in terms of sale/product, however, it's interesting to think if I was sent a third nymph that didn't make it or if this cup she sent the mantids in already had this dead nymph. From the looks of the mantis, it doesn't seem to have been dead for long. It's the same size as the second mantis in the photos above.

Anyway, any tips/comments are highly welcome! I'm about to feed them both as well, by catching some small insects outside. 

 

[Synapze]

My two Chinese Mantids have finally arrived, much earlier than I had thought! 

So, I didn't really have enclosures prepared for them (which was kind of a bad idea but I thought I had an extra day) 

So I kind of scooped together some enclosures last minute. Do you think they will suffice for until they are larger?

Mantis #1 (The larger, female one)

Top view:

II

Is this well ventilated? I misted them both a bit as soon as I transferred them into their homes. The square holes at the top of the second image are halfway covered and halfway into the enclosure as well.

Mantis #2

S

So for this one, I took a smaller cup and covered it with the netting that came with the mantids and halfway covered it with a cardboard piece. 

These should hopefully both be fine, right? Thanks for answering!

Anyway, onto the strange thing. Not all mantids arrived alive... even though I ordered only two. Yes, that's right - there was another, third mantis that seemed to have died. Now, I only ordered two mantids, so it won't be a big issue in terms of sale/product, however, it's interesting to think if I was sent a third nymph that didn't make it or if this cup she sent the mantids in already had this dead nymph. From the looks of the mantis, it doesn't seem to have been dead for long. It's the same size as the second mantis in the photos above.

Anyway, any tips/comments are highly welcome! I'm about to feed them both as well, by catching some small insects outside. 

Judging from the pictures, I would  say  both  enclosures have adequate ventilation. The size is fine. The height is recommended to be 3x the length of the mantis and width 2x the length.

Is there any mesh at the top of enclosure #1 for the mantis to hang from?

Sometimes breeders include an extra mantis just in case one dies in transit... or they got your order wrong and sent you 3 instead of 2. ?

Looks like you're off to a great start!

 

[Mantis Lady]

My two Chinese Mantids have finally arrived, much earlier than I had thought! 

Nice that the mantids arrived a day earlier the you must create new homes for them. Sadly the tird didn't made it.

but good luck with the 2 you now have.

Is there any mesh at the top of enclosure #1 for the mantis to hang from?

That was i thinking too, They like to hang upside down,

 

[Nicolas]

Judging from the pictures, I would  say  both  enclosures have adequate ventilation. The size is fine. The height is recommended to be 3x the length of the mantis and width 2x the length.

Is there any mesh at the top of enclosure #1 for the mantis to hang from?

Sometimes breeders include an extra mantis just in case one dies in transit... or they got your order wrong and sent you 3 instead of 2. ?

Looks like you're off to a great start!

I've since transferred mantis #1 into another enclosure:

Dunno why the picture is on its side, but the mesh is at the top!

Anyways, I've tried offering both food: The bigger mantis seems to ignore it, all she wants to do is move around her enclosure endlessly at this point.

The other smaller one ate a fruit fly I caught (or well, at least 50% of it) and continues to stay in the same place. 

How long should I wait until offering them both food again? 

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Patty often sends extras, she sent me an extra ghost and an extra ooth in my order. She should have sent you a tracking number that would have told you extactly when the order would arrive. From your other post I think you said you ordered late last week so that would mean she shipped on Monday and it would likely arrive on Wednesday.

Chinese mantises tend to be voracious eaters but they are probably stressed from the trip so mist the enclosure then leave them in a quiet place that doesn't have a lot going on to let them adjust to their new surroundings. You can leave a few fruit flies in the enclosure with them to eat when they feel more comfortable. Check on them again in a few hours but don't disturb them. If they don't eat any of the fruit flies by morning you can try offering a bit of diluted honey to get their energy up (add a tiny amount of water, just enough to take away the worst of the stickiness. Nymphs can't deal with straight honey all that well) 

Usually the way to tell if a mantis has eaten enough & when to feed is by watching their abdomen. Feed until their abdomen plumps up then wait until it gets flat again before their next feeding.