Phyllocrania consolidated

[brancsikia339]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to post a care sheet about ghost mantids. Please add to it if you have anymore info, pictures, stories, and your own personal experiences with this awesome mantis.

Appearance:

Cryptic, resembling leaf or leaf matter. Comes in a variety of colors: Green, Jade, Brown, Golden brown, Burnt umber, Dark brown, and Black. It is thought that the lower the temperature and higher the humidity makes them greener, and vice versa if you want browner. Nymphs often have alien looking heads and a normal mantis body, but after about L3, ghost mantids will begin to look like foliage.

Living conditions:

Ghosts are not as picky as other species, and can be kept at a moderate temperature at about 70-80 degrees. Cooler temperatures will lengthen the lifespan. They need a large cage, generally the smallest would by 3x the height and length of the mantis. The cage would need lots of foliage and leaves for the mantis to perch on.

Feeding:

Ghosts prefer flying insects to crickets or roaches. Nymphs will eat fruitflies to the occasional housefly, and adults will eat moths, small butterflies, BB's, etc. Ghost mantids won't need to eat as much after they get to about L5. Occasional spritzing is necessary for proper molting.

 

[CoolMantid]

Sounds right

 

[brancsikia339]

Sounds right

Has to be one of the best commonly available species

 

[gripen]

yes! good start!

 

[brancsikia339]

yes! good start!

Thanks! Hoping we all can get this going along!

 

[brancsikia339]

Anyone have anything they'd like to share about ghost mantids?

 

[dlemmings]

Mine were L-3 or 4 when I gor them, daily misting and kept humidity faily high, kept at normal house temps never had any problems with molting but they stayed the darkish brown they were when I got them. raised in seperate "kritter keepers" and fed wild caught flys right through molts to adulthood for the female (September), the male molted a month later (October).

It is at this time that colder temps caused me to switch to crickets between spotty hatches of BBF pupa while I got the hang of the pupa thing.

I have heard in some species crickets may lead to infertile ooths...not sure if that is an issue with ghosts (I have been at this under a year so I am NO expert ...just relaying experience)

I mated them in November after malle was a month old...they were together all night and "looked" connected in the morning when I went to work. they seperated later that afternoon. my son moved them to thier respective homes and she laid an ooth 8 days later on 12-07-2011...to date this ooth has not hatched. So whether they never "completed" or temps too cold, or crickets eaten, or ooth not properly incubated the fact remains she only laid one ooth and it never hatched. my male died prematurely right after christmas. I believe due to insufficient humidity (not spraying dailey like normal and use of a space heater for warmth).

to address the colder "room" temps I bought an approx 30gallon (?) octogonal aquarium placed on its side with two 25 watt bulbs mounted to the roof (sides) for warmth. it holds temps at 80-85 with one on and 89-100 if I run both. the ooth is "incubating" in a 32 oz deli-cup. the branch it was laid on was glued to this lid and bottom filled with spagum moss and some excesior...misted ooth dailey and allowed to dry to the touch before placing back onto deli-cup (also misted moss & excesior in cup before lid placed on)

all mantid enclosured and delicups kept inside this aquarium with lights for warmth (turned off at night, covered in heavy towel to hold warmth at night. I may replace one light with heat emitter for night time use, but want to invest in a temp/hygromerter "cut-off" switch as I am worried about dropping humidity overnight if left on constantly)

That said the female died a couple days ago...she had been "sluggish" and "off" in behavior. but at 5 months old she also died prematurely. I hope this thread helps other noobs like me know what "NOT" to do as much as what "to do" and I welcome feedback at to any mistakes I want to aquire more ghosts and hope to end up with successful generations to follow.

 

[frogparty]

I am very skeptical about the temp/humidity affecting color. I have a green, black, and rust colored female in the same tank. So that theory is pretty much out the window for me. I have fed this species crickets as well as flies and bees, and the feeding response is MUCH STRONGER when the prey item was fluttering wings. Cickets in my opinion is starvation diet style. If you want FAT ACTIVE HUNTERS you gotta offer flies

 

[dlemmings]

I agree...and only fed crickets "between" Blue Bottle hatches...Just so she did not go hungry.

Flying food is obviously prefered as evidenced by the work required to get them to take a cricket.

for any novices reading this thread I would advise rearing Blue bottles even when the wild caught flies are available, so that when the weather goes south you can have a continued supply of food. it takes a bit of hands on experience to get the timing right...there are other threads that go into detail about maggot pupation and eclosing etc. but "reading" and "doing" are not the same.

 

[brancsikia339]

I am very skeptical about the temp/humidity affecting color. I have a green, black, and rust colored female in the same tank. So that theory is pretty much out the window for me.

So what do you think changes colors? Food or Luck?

I have fed this species crickets as well as flies and bees, and the feeding response is MUCH STRONGER when the prey item was fluttering wings. Cickets in my opinion is starvation diet style. If you want FAT ACTIVE HUNTERS you gotta offer flies

1+

Whenever I see a mantis eat a cricket I feel I'm not challenging them. When I feed them large flies, bees, moths, butterflies, etc., you can see them excited and actually going for it!!

 

[brancsikia339]

I agree...and only fed crickets "between" Blue Bottle hatches...Just so she did not go hungry.

Flying food is obviously prefered as evidenced by the work required to get them to take a cricket.

for any novices reading this thread I would advise rearing Blue bottles even when the wild caught flies are available, so that when the weather goes south you can have a continued supply of food. it takes a bit of hands on experience to get the timing right...there are other threads that go into detail about maggot pupation and eclosing etc. but "reading" and "doing" are not the same.

Are there any flying insects (besides moths and butterflies) commonly available like BB's?

 

[frogparty]

I feel color is dictated by genetics.

 

[dlemmings]

"commonly available" in my short experience are fruit flies, houseflys and blue bottles. we have dogs so in nice weather we get plenty of "wild" flys which i find are smaller than blue bottles and bigger than hoseflies but not always green bottles. i always watch for moths bees etc. but am always concerned about pestisides. we live in a townhome complex that sprays weekly...same at work. I also spray the perimeter for ants during summer. so when a bug is an easy catch I am cautious. that said when you really look there are bees wasps and moths available. the work involved in catching or trapping can make fly rearing attractive. I have read about hanging a white sheet at night with a bright spotlight shining on it...attracts ALOT of nite bugs...but have not tried yet

 

[warpdrive]

I feel color is dictated by genetics.

while I agree, your method was flawed to begin with.

you didn't test a group of nymphs in hot and dry conditions. nor did you test this with a group with slightly lower temps with wetter conditions.

without the results needed for the above, you've only tested one of three groups needed...and I'm thinking of doing just that with at least two generations. and if I don't fall on my face, I'll post my results.

Harry

 

[frogparty]

Ahh yes....BUUUUUUT They all came from the same source, same age, and were all still JUVENILE colored when I got them....SOOO the fact that they all....in the same conditions EXACTLY, morphed out to each end of the possible color spectrum tells me its genetic. They have a temp gradient from 80 at the top of cage to 70 at the bottom. mid 60s at night

 

[dlemmings]

also I think I have read that *** is a factor...i think females were more likely to be green?

 

[warpdrive]

Ahh yes....BUUUUUUT They all came from the same source, same age, and were all still JUVENILE colored when I got them....SOOO the fact that they all....in the same conditions EXACTLY, morphed out to each end of the possible color spectrum tells me its genetic. They have a temp gradient from 80 at the top of cage to 70 at the bottom. mid 60s at night

what you proved is that in one condition you can have a group of mixed colors...and we already know this.

but what if you get more greens in a wetter and cooler setup?

what if you test another group in ultra hot and dry conditions, do you get a higher count of blacks or browns?

see where I'm going here?

Harry

 

[frogparty]

Ahh yes. I thought you were saying it had to be wet to get green, et etc etc. I like the black and red males I have the best anyways

 

[sporeworld]

I saw random colors in all my variations and setups. But I did see a trend towards brown/yellow/black when kept drier. Not at all scientific, but it made sense.

Concerning prey items, there was a CLEAR preference for the fluttering style. Mosquito Hunters/Hawks were their favorites, then moths then bees then flies. But mostly, they got flies (for practical reasons - I had hundreds).

Cannibalism was present, but rare until adult stages. At which point, I'd suggest the squeamish or budget conscious keep them apart. Otherwise, losses were minimal.

There are MANY members here who can give you better pictures to work with, but here are a few placeholders.

Here are Ghosts hatching...

Here's one devouring a Blue Bottle. Should give you a sense of scale on how big an opponent they can tackle...

And here's one chowing down on a Mosquito Hawk....