New to mantids. Which breed.

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Z

ZephyrStar

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Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Messages
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Location
Kansas
*probably should say species instead of breed*

Hello everyone! This is my first time posting, but I have been looking around for a few weeks. I am new to the hobby, but I do remember having praying mantis in middle school as a class project.

After my sister gave me an ootheca she found I have been gathering supplies for the last few weeks while it incubates In a tank with heat lamp. I am pretty sure it is a Chinese mantis ooth, because of its shape and that is what's local around here.

I have been building some containers to keep them in and I have come up with some (I think) interesting new ways of modifying the plastic bins I see people use that I look forward to sharing sometime soon.

As I have been doing more research on the subject, I'm not sure I want to raise a species as large as The Chinese, and have been looking into several different options such as miomantis paykulli and miomantis binotata (spelling?), but don't want to spend a lot of money just yet. I have already spent more than I planned on on supplies because I got a little carried away... Any opinions on which would be better for a beginner like me?

I have a few pros or cons of each

Chinese:

Pros:

Local, if I have to many I can release them outside. Also, I already have an ooth, though I'm not sure it's good

Cons: large, they kind of freak me out (but obviously I'm still fascinated by them)

Miomantis paykulli:

Pros:

Small, cute

Cons:

Can't release outside if I get too many to handle and I hear the breed profusely.

Thanks!

 
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Tenodera Sinensis is a great start off species in my opinion. They start small and they indeed grow on you. My first mantis was a T.sin named Echo and she was the sweetest one I've owned yet.

If not another route would be another native species in your area if not wanting to spend more on an exotic you may not even like.

Welcome to the community, I'm sure fellow members will voice their opinions as well. =)

 
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Greetings and welcome to the hobby and forum
welcome.gif


I'm interested in the little Egyptian Pygmy's (Miomantis paykullii) too, I've had 99 hatch lately from a ooth I bought. ;) I'm send you a PM now about it. :D

 
The Miomantis are a little small for my tastes. The Chinese are great though I don't personally advocate releasing them even though they are an established species and the US agriculture industry just LOVES them because they're a great ally against so-called pests to their non-native or non-natural and monocultured crops. But what can I say? I ate a bowl of granola for breakfast out here in Oregon.

Anything that eats our native bugs but isn't native, no matter how long established, is something I don't personally feel cool about releasing. Our bugs have it hard enough without a 4 inch giant coming in on the scene at the last minute. But hey, everybody's doing it and they're sold in garden stores everywhere.

In any case, pet mantises are endlessly interesting and fun and it sounds like you might have a bunch of them soon. Welcome to the forum!

 
Peter Clausen said:
The Miomantis are a little small for my tastes. The Chinese are great though I don't personally advocate releasing them even though they are an established species and the US agriculture industry just LOVES them because they're a great ally against so-called pests to their non-native or non-natural and monocultured crops. But what can I say? I ate a bowl of granola for breakfast out here in Oregon.

Anything that eats our native bugs but isn't native, no matter how long established, is something I don't personally feel cool about releasing. Our bugs have it hard enough without a 4 inch giant coming in on the scene at the last minute. But hey, everybody's doing it and they're sold in garden stores everywhere.

In any case, pet mantises are endlessly interesting and fun and it sounds like you might have a bunch of them soon. Welcome to the forum!
Click to expand...
Welcome.

I agree with Peter on releasing the Chinese mantids.

 
I HIGHLY recommend you start off with Budwing mantids, they don't grow to big , eat ANYTHING you put in front of it, and a very hardy, you can also go for Rhombodera Validia but they can be a little temperamental, but are very hardy.

Hope this helped :)

 
Peter Clausen said:
The Miomantis are a little small for my tastes. The Chinese are great though I don't personally advocate releasing them even though they are an established species and the US agriculture industry just LOVES them because they're a great ally against so-called pests to their non-native or non-natural and monocultured crops. But what can I say? I ate a bowl of granola for breakfast out here in Oregon.

Anything that eats our native bugs but isn't native, no matter how long established, is something I don't personally feel cool about releasing. Our bugs have it hard enough without a 4 inch giant coming in on the scene at the last minute. But hey, everybody's doing it and they're sold in garden stores everywhere.

In any case, pet mantises are endlessly interesting and fun and it sounds like you might have a bunch of them soon. Welcome to the forum!
Click to expand...
I hadn't even thought about releasing them being an issue... The ooth was found on just the other side of my neighborhood, so I figured it was ok. But I defiantly see your point.

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

 
I have a totally unrelated question if anyone knows the answer...

My profile picture (of the cat) I did not set when I signed up... But it is a picture of mine (an old cat from years ago... Kind of brought up some memories) any ideas on how it got on here? The only thing I can think of is I might have used it on a different unrelated forum and it transferred over somehow.

 
Geez, I should have a really solid answer to that question and I could look it up but I recall something from a recent software version update about "gravatars". Maybe you set up a "globally recognized avatar" at some point?

https://en.gravatar.com/

Of course, I like to remain open minded to the possibilities. Rick may very well be channeling its spirit. He's something of a cat whisperer, I'm told. That little bug at the bottom of his posts has caused a monitor or two to be knocked over by feline or two, over the years.

 

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