non enclosure mantis

[Schloaty]

While there are never any guarantees with bugs, I had success with an adult ghost and and adult dead leaf (lobata) on hanging plants outside. Now, granted, these were both females, and neither ever flew that I could tell, and I don't think, at their sizes, they could easily navigate the way up the hangar.... But there were OUTSIDE, man! They lived there, happy as clambs (may I mention - hanging flowering plant, so plenty of "food to go") for several weeks, until it got too cold outside. I then had to put the plants in the greenhouse, and the dead lead stayed there until her dying day at least two months later.

I don't think I would try this with males, though....they wander more in my (limited) experience.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I don't think I would try this with males, though....they wander more in my (limited) experience.

Yep, the adult males I've had always tend to move about more than their female counterparts. Guessing it is an innate drive of theirs to wander in search of girlies. Species also has the potential to play a part in how much the wander. I've noticed at least certain species seem to hang around in one spot more than others. For instance my Ghost mantis would find a spot amongst the sticks and leaves and be content to hang around all day. My Chinese mantids, male or female however always seem to be constantly on the move. Wasn't unusual for me to set them down in my room, look away, then look back a few minutes later to discover they had managed to crawl across my room, up a wall, and were perched on top of my TV or nestled amongst the blinds. They always kept me on my toes, that is for sure. :innocent: There is nothing like carefully shuffling across your room while calling your mantises name once you loose them either, which happened all the time with my Chinese mantises. Thankfully however since they move so much and are clumsy I would often find them by listening for the sound of them moving about, often loudly trying to get a grip on something too slick for their clunking bodies.

 

[sk8erkho]

Well...I must say I have lost a good number of nymphs just letting em hang out for a few minutes while i service tanks and such!! Just recently with a batch of Chinese my friend Paul sent, 3 got lost in the flat and just two days ago I found one of them in my bedroom closet hanging on a hanger in plain sight molting!!!! With the boys, my new nephew now 3 and the traffic from family I don't know How he made it through but he did!!! Then I finally found a second escapee dead from poisoning laid down just before we moved into the new unit. Damn I felt bad for that guys it was hard as a nail and all discoloured. Anyway, in past times i have lost mantids that I just let hang out on the curtain or window screen during the day but at night I put them all in enclosures. Though my larger females I let hang out regularly as they don't seem to roam as much. I had an orchid male which just could not wait to use his newly acquired wings and I really had to keep him on lock down as he would fly right out of the enclosure as soon as I opened it!!! HE was difficult to keep up with so he just had to stay enclosed!! But, I say if they are larger and there is no poison you are unaware of and other such dangers...Go for it. Just keep tabs on em from time to time when your are home. I find when they do get lost I tend to find them hanging :angry: from stuff. Seems they like to climb and hang there like bats!!!