Sunlight?

[AmandaLynn]

Do matids need sunlight or some kind of artificial light? I've been keeping about half of my T. Sinesis nymphs on window sills that face the east so they get a few hours of direct sunlight every morning and the other half on my kitchen counter where there is a lot of natual light but they're not in direct sunlight. They all seem healthy but the nymphs in the kitchen that don't get a lot of sunlight have all but one turned brown but the guys on the windows are mostly green. Will a lack of sunlight affect their health?

 

[beckyl92]

Do matids need sunlight or some kind of artificial light? I've been keeping about half of my T. Sinesis nymphs on window sills that face the east so they get a few hours of direct sunlight every morning and the other half on my kitchen counter where there is a lot of natual light but they're not in direct sunlight. They all seem healthy but the nymphs in the kitchen that don't get a lot of sunlight have all but one turned brown but the guys on the windows are mostly green. Will a lack of sunlight affect their health?

I don't think your suppose to keep them on the window sill. when its cold outside itll affect them. just keep them in a room with the curtains open and that'll be fine

nah its doesn't affect their health at all as long as they're not in the pitch black 24/7 haha. i don't think theyd like that

 

[Rick]

They do not need any special light. Be careful of direct sunlight as it can quickly overheat the enclosures.

 

[Katnapper]

I'm not sure how much sunlight affects their health or their color morph. I'm sure no one would likely keep mantids totally in the dark anyways. Your set-up sounds fine... just make sure the temps inside the enclosures by the window don't fall or rise to extremes. The sun can heat up a plastic enclosure fairly quickly to lethal temps if strong enough. And conversely, a cold window can make an adjacent enclosure cold. Common sense is usually pretty accurate at deciding where to keep them... just think about how the temps feel to you (are they comfortable) when you stand in the sunlight at the window (keeping in mind you aren't in a plasic enclosure that can trap the heat)... or do you get a cold draft when by it?

Here's a long but interesting discussion on the day/night lighting cycle, and if it affects mantids, if you're inclined to read it.

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?sh...ing+length+time

 

[AmandaLynn]

I don't think your suppose to keep them on the window sill. when its cold outside itll affect them. just keep them in a room with the curtains open and that'll be fine nah its doesn't affect their health at all as long as they're not in the pitch black 24/7 haha. i don't think theyd like that

I'm not worried about the cold. It's spring here so it gets a little cooler near the window by a few degrees at night. I wouldn't keep them there during the winter though, because then it would be to cold, but for now they're all good.

 

[AmandaLynn]

They do not need any special light. Be careful of direct sunlight as it can quickly overheat the enclosures.

Yeah, I'll need to mindful of the overheating issue as summer kicks in but for now I'll just let them enjoy the weather. They do seem to love the sun.

 

[AmandaLynn]

I'm not sure how much sunlight affects their health or their color morph. I'm sure no one would likely keep mantids totally in the dark anyways. Your set-up sounds fine... just make sure the temps inside the enclosures by the window don't fall or rise to extremes. The sun can heat up a plastic enclosure fairly quickly to lethal temps if strong enough. And conversely, a cold window can make an adjacent enclosure cold. Common sense is usually pretty accurate at deciding where to keep them... just think about how the temps feel to you (are they comfortable) when you stand in the sunlight at the window (keeping in mind you aren't in a plasic enclosure that can trap the heat)... or do you get a cold draft when by it?Here's a long but interesting discussion on the day/night lighting cycle, and if it affects mantids, if you're inclined to read it.

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?sh...ing+length+time

Thanks for the link. That is a pretty interesting thread. That's kinda the reason I thought the window would be a good spot for them, for now any ways. With natural, or closer to natural day and night changes in temps and light. The only difference it seems to have on them is their color, so it seems likely that light and/or temperature plays a big part in that, but it's not like a controlled experiment or anything, so who know?

 

[hibiscusmile]

All Gods creatures need some light!

 

[Borya]

In my opinion, mantids do need sunlight or, when in winter-time, ultraviolet lamps using for reptiles, like 'Repti-Glo'. I raised several generations of some species (Hierodula transcaucasica, H. grandis/membranacea, Mantis religosa) without UV, and in each case the winter generation, which didn't get sunlight and were fed on culture-bred insects, were obviously weaker than those who were raised in summer eating wild-caughts and got sunlight. They looked pale, slow moving, Males of Hierodulas didn't mate at all, and although M.religiosa males mated faintly, but females didn't lay ooths.

This autumn I start to use 'Sera Terra UV' lamp, whith light flux approximately equal to 'Repti-Glo 5', and H.transcaucasica and M.religiosa look much better. They have bright colouring, males of both species run and fly easily and mate for many times. Females lay ooths, some of M.religiosa's hatched yet. The temperature and food are the same.