Newbie with questions

[ErnieB]

Greetings everyone. I wanted to get clarification on a few things and also answers to some basic questions.

From what i have researched here is it correct that the L2, L3, etc. etc. basically signifies how many time the mantis has molted? So an L2 has molted once and an L5 has molted 4 times?

Im interested in keeping a mantis or 2 as a pet ( not breeding, at least not yet ) and have decided on a mantis religiosa and/or possibly a budwig. Whats a typical lifespan for these species? General care for them?

How often and how much do they need fed?

Are there any species ( and if so which ones ) that can peacefully live together?

I live in Ohio so winters are pretty cold and summers are pretty hot. My indoor temperature fluctuates between 60-80 depending on the time of the year( and how much im trying to save on heating/cooling bills, lol ) Im assuming i will need to heat the "cage". Whats the best way to accomplish this?

Humidity, for the species i mentioned above, whats the humidity suppose to be, how do i check it, and how do I achieve it?

Thanks in advance for any answers/advice

 

[hibiscusmile]

Hello fellow OHIOIan! did u introduce yourself in intro posting? better do that! I think this one can be moved though! Welcome!

The first question on molting is correct!

Second, the religiosa is hard mantis for beginner, steer away from that one. Go with bud or asian, or ant, almost any but that one. Keep most at room temp, I like 72F or above, feed everyday while young and water most everyday, but after, 3rd instar they wont die if they mist it a day.

 

[Rick]

Welcome. Please be sure to make an intro in the introductions forum. All of your questions have been aswered before, check out the search. I will give a quick answer though:

1. That is correct.

2. Lifespan depends on species. Some live five months and some can live a year. So figure somewhere in between. The budwing is a good starter mantis.

3. I feed every other day. I make sure their abdomens stay plump but not overly fat. For a female mantis who I am breeding I feed her as much as she can eat.

4. THere are some that live ok together. Keep in mind that there is still the potential for an incident. Just a few off the top of my head;brunners mantis, violin mantis, bark mantis,ghost mantis....

5.For most mantids you don't need to heat the cage. In the winter in OH you might want to consider a low wattage heat lamp for some though.

6.I don't check humidity. If it is dry I mist them lightly morning and evening. Otherwise I mist the inside of the cage each day.

 

[ErnieB]

Hello fellow OHIOIan! did u introduce yourself in intro posting? better do that! I think this one can be moved though! Welcome!

The first question on molting is correct!

Second, the religiosa is hard mantis for beginner, steer away from that one. Go with bud or asian, or ant, almost any but that one. Keep most at room temp, I like 72F or above, feed everyday while young and water most everyday, but after, 3rd instar they wont die if they mist it a day.

Thanks for the welcome, I just did an intro topic on your suggestion Your site is amazing by the way and im sure its where i will be getting alot of stuff from. I figured i could pick your mind and then offer my cutomer loyalty in return, lol.

I had picked the religiosa based on it looking like the mantis i have seen myself ( bright green with no "weird" shapes/characteristics )and wanted to get what I thought was a "normal" mantis. What makes them harder to keep/raise?

My choice was based on the fact that i wanted a green mantis that looked "normal" in my mind and could get a few inches in size. ( 2-4" )

As for feeding, how much do they get fed when you feed them? Just wondering how much feeder insects i would need on hand and how long they would last before i would need to get more.

 

[ErnieB]

Welcome. Please be sure to make an intro in the introductions forum. All of your questions have been aswered before, check out the search. I will give a quick answer though:

1. That is correct.

2. Lifespan depends on species. Some live five months and some can live a year. So figure somewhere in between. The budwing is a good starter mantis.

3. I feed every other day. I make sure their abdomens stay plump but not overly fat. For a female mantis who I am breeding I feed her as much as she can eat.

4. THere are some that live ok together. Keep in mind that there is still the potential for an incident. Just a few off the top of my head;brunners mantis, violin mantis, bark mantis,ghost mantis....

5.For most mantids you don't need to heat the cage. In the winter in OH you might want to consider a low wattage heat lamp for some though.

6.I don't check humidity. If it is dry I mist them lightly morning and evening. Otherwise I mist the inside of the cage each day.

Thanks for the response Rick. I checked for "stickied" topics and figured there would be a newbie FAQ type post but didnt see one. ( might be a good idea )

 

[Rick]

Thanks for the response Rick. I checked for "stickied" topics and figured there would be a newbie FAQ type post but didnt see one. ( might be a good idea )

We have kicked around the idea. I meant to use the search feature in the upper right of the main screen. She is right about the european mantis. I have never had any luck with them. Budwing is great for a newbie. I would steer away from large species like giant asian simply due to the fact that they require large enclosures and lots of large food. But if you can provide that they are easy.

 

[ErnieB]

We have kicked around the idea. I meant to use the search feature in the upper right of the main screen. She is right about the european mantis. I have never had any luck with them. Budwing is great for a newbie. I would steer away from large species like giant asian simply due to the fact that they require large enclosures and lots of large food. But if you can provide that they are easy.

Enclosure size is no big deal. I have several extra 2 gallon "tanks" that i could use or would purchase something else if it was more appropriate. As for providing the food, my thoughts are your keeping and supplying the feeder food anyway so does it really matter much? ( The feeding is something i need to learn more about as far as what to feed at what stages and how much to feed of each type and how often. Also how to keep the feeder food and know when to get more to keep a good supply on hand )

Having said that, if an experienced keeper such as yourself never had luck i suppose a newb like me wouldnt either.

 

[hibiscusmile]

The religiosa is hard and we dont know why, it is funny they make it outside, but try raising them inside! I havent had one reach adult in the last year and I hatch them every month

. I f u want a mantis that we have here, go with the chinese, they are hardy, will eat anything and live a good 10 months or more.

 

[ErnieB]

The religiosa is hard and we dont know why, it is funny they make it outside, but try raising them inside! I havent had one reach adult in the last year and I hatch them every month

. I f u want a mantis that we have here, go with the chinese, they are hardy, will eat anything and live a good 10 months or more.

I didnt see any of these in your store? Are they good for beginners? Any other websites with good information. Im having trouble getting any sites from google that are still up.

 

[Rick]

I didnt see any of these in your store? Are they good for beginners? Any other websites with good information. Im having trouble getting any sites from google that are still up.

All the info you need is here. They are pretty easy to keep. They are kinda fragile when very young though. They get big too. Check out the feeding forum to help you with feeder insects. For young mantids fruit flies are best. As they grow you can increase the size of the food. Houseflies, bluebottle flies, roaches, crickets,etc.

 

[Montisa]

What's up guys? Does anyone want to go into my blog? "Late Night Adventures?" Anyway, you are correct on the molting part. Second, I catch European Mantids (mantis religiosa) almost each month outside. They aren't that hard to keep as pets. It's a good idea. They are the most common species of mantid in the Unided States, and they usually grow to only about 3 inches. (Or 75mm) Feed them crickets or beetles or flys, and they should be in good shape. They can live for about 7 to 8 months in New Jersey, so I don't know about Ohio's main seasons.

And no, they can't be in the same container with another mantid. No species can resist a fight with another mantid sadly. It's all food to them.

 

[Rick]

What's up guys? Does anyone want to go into my blog? "Late Night Adventures?" Anyway, you are correct on the molting part. Second, I catch European Mantids (mantis religiosa) almost each month outside. They aren't that hard to keep as pets. It's a good idea. They are the most common species of mantid in the Unided States, and they usually grow to only about 3 inches. (Or 75mm) Feed them crickets or beetles or flys, and they should be in good shape. They can live for about 7 to 8 months in New Jersey, so I don't know about Ohio's main seasons.

And no, they can't be in the same container with another mantid. No species can resist a fight with another mantid sadly. It's all food to them.

I think by saying "keeping them" we mean raising them. The new nymphs are very weak. There are much better choices out there for his first mantis.

 

[hibiscusmile]

They are under mantis for sale and the "cup of Ooths: I have chinese babies now and one, yes count it 1 religiosa! :tt2:

 

[Mr.Mantid]

Welcome to the mantis hobby Ernie!