Rearing Hundreds of T. sinensis

[ArcticMantis]

I'm working on mantis behaviour for my thesis and, since Sciencetm requires a LOT of replicates, I'm going to have to raise a couple hundred mantises at once. In Canada, my options are pretty limited, so I can either use M. religiosus or T. sinensis. The latter is more readily available, so for now I'm planning on purchasing a Chinese Mantis ootheca. 

My problem is HOUSING. How does one go about housing 200+ mantises in an admittedly limited lab? We have a VWR which allows us to control temperature and light exposure, but it may not be large enough for hundred of containers. Are 32oz Deli containers (~14 cm tall, 10cm wide) big enough? I know the recommendation is 2-3x the height of the adult (~9cm, max), but that may not be practical or even possible with raising 200+ mantises on a master's thesis budget.

Edit: misting. The Dedicated Care Sheet recommends misting twice a day. If I have mesh lids, would I be OK just misting over all the containers at once? It would save SO MUCH TIME. Or do I have to open every individual container and mist inside twice a day? That would.... take a while.

Anyone have experience rearing way too may mantids?

 

[Synapze]

Are 32oz Deli containers (~14 cm tall, 10cm wide) big enough?

You will not be able to raise either of those species to adulthood in 32oz containers; they are too large.

My problem is HOUSING. How does one go about housing 200+ mantises in an admittedly limited lab?

200+ adults would probably not be practical to raise in a lab that can be described as "limited". But, depending on how the cups are stacked, you might be able to pull it off.

I know the recommendation is 2-3x the height of the adult (~9cm, max), but that may not be practical or even possible with raising 200+ mantises on a master's thesis budget.

I don't suggest attempting to raise a Chinese to adulthood in anything less that a 15" tall container. Tenodera tend to have molting issues, especially in small enclosures.

Feeder expense will also need to be factored into your plan. It will take MANY many fruit fly cultures to begin with, but the expense will skyrocket  when the nymphs need larger feeder insects, unless you are able to culture your own large flies or roaches. If it's in your lab budget to purchase feeders in bulk, we're talking possibly hundreds of dollars monthly. 

Perhaps someone else will come along with better new, but I would consider it a huge undertaking and impractical. 

That's my opinion, but hopefully someone will come along with a plan that works.

The most I have ever raised (for donation to a local school program) was approximately 50, but they were still young enough to fit in small 2oz deli cups. I can't even imagine raising 200 adults of a large species. 

Good luck!  

 

[ArcticMantis]

Perhaps someone else will come along with better new, but I would consider it a huge undertaking and impractical. 

That's my opinion, but hopefully someone will come along with a plan that works.

Good luck!  

Hmmm... perhaps I should push for permission to get Phyllocrania paradoxa or another, easier-to-rear species. That might be more practical, even if the bureaucracy of it all is as painful as I predict it will be

 

[Synapze]

The Dedicated Care Sheet recommends misting twice a day. If I have mesh lids, would I be OK just misting over all the containers at once?

Misting the tops will give a humidity boost, but you would still need to open the containers to give a light mist for the mantids to drink. When I was raising large numbers, I would punch out one of the vent holes and stick a piece of foam in the hole to block it. You can then pull out the plug and give a little spritz through the hole with a misting bottle. The hole (or port) can also be used for feeder insects. I use a small funnel to stick in the hole to tap in the fruit flies. It's a time saver, however it can make stacking cups a little tricky.

 

[Synapze]

Hmmm... perhaps I should push for permission to get Phyllocrania paradoxa or another, easier-to-rear species. That might be more practical, even if the bureaucracy of it all is as painful as I predict it will be 

Phyllocrania paradoxa would be perfect. I've raised all of mine successfully in 32oz cups. The bureaucracy would be painful and time consuming.

Sorry if I come across as negative... that's certainly not my intent. This would be a good set of questions for a commercial breeder. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Phyllocrania paradoxa is a much better idea. You can raise them to adult in 32oz deli cups with mesh tops. You can mist them all at once through the mesh, as long as the lid is a wire or tulle like material.  They can be raised in fruit flies for the first few months, then roaches, crickets, flies, grasshoppers, etc. Feeder costs could get expensive though. Let us know if you have any more questions!

- MantisGirl13

 

[ArcticMantis]

 The bureaucracy would be painful and time consuming.

the bureaucracy looks like... a lot. What if I duct tape a couple of 32 oz deli cups together? like this: 

 

[Synapze]

What if I duct tape a couple of 32 oz deli cups together? 

I've done this before a couple of times! I'm assuming you'll be using the clear variety. I cut out the top and glued on mesh and a feeding/watering port on the side. I used a stick that reached from bottom to top and used regular adhesive tape since duct tape is so hard to remove. You could probably rig something using little clips or something. It would make cleanup easier. However, I think it would work better for the European than the Chinese species. I wouldn't go over a 3" species for this method, but it worked like a charm... but again, it won't really help with shelf space.

 

[hysteresis]

In academia, you'll like get a permit to import.

That's all i can add.

 

[MantisGirl13]

the bureaucracy looks like... a lot. What if I duct tape a couple of 32 oz deli cups together? like this: View attachment 12374

Great idea! If you do Chinese, you will need many ooths because so few actually survive.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Jaywo]

How about 64 oz mason jars with the top covered in mesh?