Mantids in Virginia

[samak]

Hello,

I am in Virginia. A few months ago, in October, I found an adult chinese mantid and brough it inside and fed it for a few days. I let it walk around one of the house plants then suddenly it started laying eggs right on the plant. Now, in January I noticed a few nymphs hanging around the plant next to the ooth. It was a surprise since I did not expect them to hatch until March or April. I managed to catch 15 of them, I did not see any more. Either they got loose in the house or the others just never hatched. They are now divided in two enclosures eating fruit flies whenever they can catch them.

 

[Rick]

Wrong forum so I moved it for you.

 

[xenuwantsyou]

Chinese mantids need an incubation period of a number of weeks (not sure on the exact number), but they hatch whenever the climate adjusts to a level suited for them to live in after that incubation period has hatched. In this case a warm house supplied that environment. It's most likely that many more nymphs hatched, but they will most likely starve .

By the way what part of Virgina do you live in?

 

[samak]

In Northern VA near DC.

 

[xenuwantsyou]

Awesome, I'm here in Woodbridge.

 

[samak]

What kind of mantid species do you have? I think I have the Chinese Mantid (Tenodera aridifolia). What species of mantids live here in Virginia?

 

[yen_saw]

Believed Euroepan mantis and Carolina mantis exist throughout the North Eastern states as well.

 

[xenuwantsyou]

Currently I have some H. Grandis and H. Coronatus. And the species yen mentioned are the only one s that live around here.