My 12x12x18 D. Lobata Terrarium

[Fredstrong]

Greetings all! We recieved our Mantids today, one Budwing from Peter Clausen , then two D. Lobata, and 3 Popas from Mikhail. I am going to use this terrarium for the two D. Lobatas. It is a 12x12x18 exo terra terrarium, I used cork bark on the back, small and medium bend-a-branch, coco substrate with a little moss and dead leaves some of which I affixed to the branches with a hot glue gun, (I froze the leaves for a few hous before putting them in the tank). The dead leaf mantises are about 1 1/2", I wonder if they are big enough for the tank?

 

[CosbyArt]

I like it! Looks like a usable tank that isn't over done, and feeding shouldn't be next to impossible.

My Lobata's were very active, and would chase down prey items. Also as there isn't tons of hiding place, and the positioning of the sticks feeders such as crickets should run right up to your mantid. If nothing else try it and if it doesn't work out you can feed them with tweezers or move them during feeding to a deli cup.

 

[Fredstrong]

Thank you Thomas, that is what I am thinking. Right now they are in two 32 oz deli cups. I have fruit flys but they seem really small for these guys. I am going to get some small dubia roaches. Once I see they they eat those, I will transfer them to the big tank and put a couple of small plastic cups in the substrate and try the roaches in those. If I can get them used to that, then the size of the roach increases but the prey is always trapped in that cup. We'll see, this is the beginning. My son, and I, (if not my wife), are excited to get to know these guys!

 

[CosbyArt]

I bet the FF's are too small, at that size they should be eating house flies if not GB/BB flies.

Usually the feeder order is springtails (really small mantid species), Melanogaster FF, then Hydei FF, stable flies, house flies, then GB or BB flies (Green Bottle or Blue Bottle). At which point most keepers will continue to fed them GB or BB flies due to availability; however, depending on supply (or your culturing abilities) next comes deer flies, flesh flies, black solider flies, horse flies, then Damselfly, and lastly Dragonflies. Although about any fly above the GB and BB fly stage typically can bite, with the exception of the black solider fly.

Those are just common flies, other such as Phorid/humpback flies or other flying insects like Cicada can fit in the list too. As you discovered usually larger mantids are given/supplemented with non-flying/crawling prey such as crickets, cockroaches, moths, butterflies, waxworms/moths, you name it. Lots of choices, and if the mantid doesn't like it, it won't eat it. They also work for smaller nymphs depending on size - such as pinhead crickets (1/8" cricket nymphs) given at the point just above FF's.

Great to see you and your son are excited, it makes it more fun to have someone interested in it with you. If your wife is anything like mine in regards to "bugs", she will act like she doesn't care but secretly will - and if you let/make her chose a name for one of the mantids she'll like them even more.

 

[Fredstrong]

Fed them both small crickets today, which they were alert to, pursued and ate instantly. I also introduced them both to the tank tonight. I am putting a few, crickets in there with them, (like 3,so there is food if they want it). Thank you for the feedback, Thomas.

 

[CosbyArt]

Fed them both small crickets today, which they were alert to, pursued and ate instantly. I also introduced them both to the tank tonight. I am putting a few, crickets in there with them, (like 3,so there is food if they want it). Thank you for the feedback, Thomas.

Glad to hear they enjoyed their larger prey. The two nymphs are should have a great time in the new large space.

They are not a communal species though, and will need to be separated, usually around L3 or so. When that happens you can construct a tank divider (not sure if they exist for your tank size), or get another tank for the second mantid.

Your more than welcome, glad to see some mantids get to live it up beyond a deli cup.

 

[Fredstrong]

What I have been told/read is that the sexes have to seperated once you can sex them, because the males are so much smaller, but that two of the same sex, same instar, can be kept through adulthood. Do you council against this?

 

[CosbyArt]

What I have been told/read is that the sexes have to seperated once you can sex them, because the males are so much smaller, but that two of the same sex, same instar, can be kept through adulthood. Do you council against this?

I see what you mean, I found conflicting caresheets about the species being communal. One particular point is some group the Deroplaty desiccata and Deroplaty lobata species together as far as care, yet others list them with different communal abilities - with the Desiccata being the communal species.

One keeper kept his Lobata together till late in L3 before separating them and had 4 cases of cannibalism. This caresheet says that the Desiccata can be kept together till L5 instar before being separated; however, lists the Lobata must be housed individually. Another caresheet listed here says the Lobata can live communal all the way to, and including, as adults (with males and females being able to live together).

One thing to consider is with even one of the most communal mantid species the Ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa), many communal setups still has some cannibalism even under the best circumstances. It comes down to are you worth risking losing one of your Lobata mantids to cannibalism - if not keep them separated. There are keepers who have successfully kept non-communal species in communal setups too as long as the mantids grew up together, and were kept well fed with plenty of room. So the choice is yours to do communal or not - as it seems there is a chance it could work out fine.

 

[BigDazz]

Looks good!