Rhombodera Basalis
- Thread starter crabbypatty
- Start date
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I have care sheets on my site too.
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
Thank you!
@crabbypatty I don't know much, just where/how to look. 
Indeed Rebecca has the species on her care sheet page, about half-way down. Also I found this care sheet, and this one too for your particular species.
Indeed Rebecca has the species on her care sheet page, about half-way down. Also I found this care sheet, and this one too for your particular species.
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
Thanks guys, I'm trying to get as much info as possible before I get one, your recommendations helped.
Sticky
Well-known member
Who is breeding them?
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
Sticky
Well-known member
Yes, I saw he has some.
guapoalto049
Well-known member
They're a hardy species, so the basics apply.
You can keep em warm and drier (temp ~80-85, 40% humidity) during the day, cooler and moist at night (~70 F with 60-70% humidity). I mist and use a fogger to keep humidity up. Give them good gripping surface on top since they hang out upside down usually. I use shelf liner and/or twigs. Glass terraria are easy to control temp and humidity.
Rhombodera are very cannibalistic, so keep them separated into deli cups stacked inside the glass terraria for control of environment. Height should be at least 3 times the mantid's length, and wide enough to roam some. I've kept L1-2 in small styrofoam cups, then upgrade to the clear deli cups that Rebecca and others sell. Some small species can stay in these cups to adulthood (Creobroter, Ceratomantis, Tropidomantis, et al species < 3 cm), but R. basalis needs bigger. I separate a glass terrarium with home-made dividers into 3 sections for larger species. This allows for 6 adults in 2 standard 10 gallon terraria.
L1 take fruit flies. L2 can start house flies. L3 can start small roaches and crickets. Crickets are an easy feeder since they're available from pet stores, but I've found they often make mantids unhealthy. Roach colonies are best and turkish reds/red runners are less smelly and don't climb.
R. basalis hit 8-9 cm as adult females, males are 1 cm less.
You can keep em warm and drier (temp ~80-85, 40% humidity) during the day, cooler and moist at night (~70 F with 60-70% humidity). I mist and use a fogger to keep humidity up. Give them good gripping surface on top since they hang out upside down usually. I use shelf liner and/or twigs. Glass terraria are easy to control temp and humidity.
Rhombodera are very cannibalistic, so keep them separated into deli cups stacked inside the glass terraria for control of environment. Height should be at least 3 times the mantid's length, and wide enough to roam some. I've kept L1-2 in small styrofoam cups, then upgrade to the clear deli cups that Rebecca and others sell. Some small species can stay in these cups to adulthood (Creobroter, Ceratomantis, Tropidomantis, et al species < 3 cm), but R. basalis needs bigger. I separate a glass terrarium with home-made dividers into 3 sections for larger species. This allows for 6 adults in 2 standard 10 gallon terraria.
L1 take fruit flies. L2 can start house flies. L3 can start small roaches and crickets. Crickets are an easy feeder since they're available from pet stores, but I've found they often make mantids unhealthy. Roach colonies are best and turkish reds/red runners are less smelly and don't climb.
R. basalis hit 8-9 cm as adult females, males are 1 cm less.
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
Hey thanks! Very helpful, I don't feed any of my mantids crickets anyway so we're good there too, I'm excited to start on a new species
izbiggs
Well-known member
@crabbypattyI keep mine under a heat lamp and mist them daily. They love drinking! They'll eat practically anything. Rebecca's care sheet is very good. One of mine recently molted to subadult! They're so interesting and energetic.
izbiggs
Well-known member
@hibiscusmile sorry, off-topic, but I recently ordered a few mantis species from you and your mantises are beautiful! Thank you so much.
