grob
Well-known member
I'd like to pick your brains of everyone and get your thoughts on what makes the best mantis pets and why. And have you noticed any changes in your breeding lineages over time? What are your ultimate goals in breeding mantids?
I got to thinking about this as I'm wondering what direction I should take my mantis interest. I'd really like to get a solid stock of one or a few species and get it's culture down and make it accessible to anyone, and maybe even do a little artificial selection to make it a better pet. Maybe bring a new species into culture. Maybe select for and establish a new variety.
I've only been at this a month so it's really just the planning stages, but already I have a few observations. I have a few Phyllocania paradoxa and Creobroter pictipennis and I can see why they are so popular. They are very docile, good eaters and really fun to watch. I think I could be happy just keeping these two. I'm guessing their docile nature comes from the fact that in the wild they rely on crypsis to survive.
Has anyone who has raised these seen their docile nature improve over the generations? Or any changes? Has the stock everyone has today been in captivity for years or is it occasionally refreshed with wild stock?
I think a lot of mantid species don't do well in captivity because they are too nervous, or too active - like they are runners. I see this in the two wild caught Gonatista grisea I have. They eat ok but they run and hide whenever I look at them or they just seem frozen in fear when I take them out. Maybe this is just because they are wild caught, but I have a wild caught Stagmomantis that isn't afraid of anything and seems happy on a hand or shoulder and only looks at you when you walk in the room. Maybe the nervousness can be bred out of the Gonatista.
There are some super cool, adorable looking ground mantids in Eremiaphila but I'm guessing they are all runners and would be difficult to keep if just for that reason. Anyone tried these?
The ease of captive breeding is another aspect, but I have no experience with that.
And what role does size play in the suitability of a mantis as a pet? Certainly small things aren't going to be terribly popular. My daughters like the Stagmomantis the best because they can hold it and pose with it for pictures, but I like the Phyllocrania and Creobroter because they are fun to watch. I think part of the attraction of Idolomantis and Gongylus is the size, combined with interesting behavior and looks.
So there are around 2,300 species of mantis and people keep mostly some of a dozen popular ones. Do you think there are any species out there that when we give them a chance they could become the most popular - a sort of sleeper mantis? Or are the ones in culture there because they are the ones that are easy to culture and and big enough to keep people's interest.
I think of all the varieties of dogs, pigeons, rabbits, all coming from one species. Maybe we can come up with different varieties of Phyllocrania or Creobroter. Just think of it, the giant white ghost mantis, the black and white Creobroter. OK, maybe a chihuahua sized Idolomantis is out of reach due to physiological limitations, but maybe a big buff, diploid orange one is in reach. Maybe it's just the mad scientist in me but we have such a great toy in genetics that really is a fun and added aspect to this hobby.
OK, a lot of different questions in here. I look forward to your response. --rob
I got to thinking about this as I'm wondering what direction I should take my mantis interest. I'd really like to get a solid stock of one or a few species and get it's culture down and make it accessible to anyone, and maybe even do a little artificial selection to make it a better pet. Maybe bring a new species into culture. Maybe select for and establish a new variety.
I've only been at this a month so it's really just the planning stages, but already I have a few observations. I have a few Phyllocania paradoxa and Creobroter pictipennis and I can see why they are so popular. They are very docile, good eaters and really fun to watch. I think I could be happy just keeping these two. I'm guessing their docile nature comes from the fact that in the wild they rely on crypsis to survive.
Has anyone who has raised these seen their docile nature improve over the generations? Or any changes? Has the stock everyone has today been in captivity for years or is it occasionally refreshed with wild stock?
I think a lot of mantid species don't do well in captivity because they are too nervous, or too active - like they are runners. I see this in the two wild caught Gonatista grisea I have. They eat ok but they run and hide whenever I look at them or they just seem frozen in fear when I take them out. Maybe this is just because they are wild caught, but I have a wild caught Stagmomantis that isn't afraid of anything and seems happy on a hand or shoulder and only looks at you when you walk in the room. Maybe the nervousness can be bred out of the Gonatista.
There are some super cool, adorable looking ground mantids in Eremiaphila but I'm guessing they are all runners and would be difficult to keep if just for that reason. Anyone tried these?
The ease of captive breeding is another aspect, but I have no experience with that.
And what role does size play in the suitability of a mantis as a pet? Certainly small things aren't going to be terribly popular. My daughters like the Stagmomantis the best because they can hold it and pose with it for pictures, but I like the Phyllocrania and Creobroter because they are fun to watch. I think part of the attraction of Idolomantis and Gongylus is the size, combined with interesting behavior and looks.
So there are around 2,300 species of mantis and people keep mostly some of a dozen popular ones. Do you think there are any species out there that when we give them a chance they could become the most popular - a sort of sleeper mantis? Or are the ones in culture there because they are the ones that are easy to culture and and big enough to keep people's interest.
I think of all the varieties of dogs, pigeons, rabbits, all coming from one species. Maybe we can come up with different varieties of Phyllocrania or Creobroter. Just think of it, the giant white ghost mantis, the black and white Creobroter. OK, maybe a chihuahua sized Idolomantis is out of reach due to physiological limitations, but maybe a big buff, diploid orange one is in reach. Maybe it's just the mad scientist in me but we have such a great toy in genetics that really is a fun and added aspect to this hobby.
OK, a lot of different questions in here. I look forward to your response. --rob
