Perendinater
New member
Hi all,
I just found this forum and thought I'd introduce myself, as it seems the thing to do.
My name is John and I’m a professional computer geek, with a second job teaching a psychology course at a small local college. That tells you my two college majors. My minor was in religion. My hobbies include nature photography, tennis, and volunteering with youth. Every once in a while I’ll pick up my bagpipes, which I once played competitively but now play only for friends’ weddings and the like.
Of course, other than taking pictures of them, or enthusiastically teaching boy scouts about them, none of this has anything to do with my lifelong love of critters. Sometimes I think I should have become a biologist, then have found a way to earn a paycheck while identifying undiscovered species in remote rainforests. But alas, for now I must be content with what I can discover here in southeastern Virginia.
Fortunately, a few weeks ago I discovered a 4 inch long, bright green mantid standing guard in the middle of a nighttime tennis court. Recklessly violating everything I was taught as a child about these “endangered species” I brought it home with me, and quickly fell in love. After much searching online, I finally observed the vivid orange spot between his front coxae and concluded he's a Narrow Winged Mantis. Hands down, this guy has the coolest personality of any insect I've ever caught. His apparent curiosity, general boldness, and quirky habits combine with that articulating neck to give him an expressive personality unmatched by any insect I know of.
I was never allowed to keep mantids as a child growing up in Florida, as my parents told me they are endangered species and must be left untouched in the wild. So while researching what species I had smuggled home, I was delighted to learn these mantids are NOT protected, meaning I could keep him! I soon setup a terrarium, stocking it with wild moths and other bugs attracted by my front porch light, plus a selection of store-bought crickets. He spends most of his time hanging upside down from the screen on top of the enclosure. A few times a week I coax him out, enjoy letting him hang out on my arm for a while, then return him to the floor of the tank, where he usually promptly pounces on whatever hapless bug first comes within reach.
I just caught another mantid tonight, on another tennis court. This one is 2 inches long, mottled brown with green legs, has chocolate eyes (at least, this time of night) and black spots inside the base of his front coxae. I'm guessing he's a Carolina Mantid, though his antennae are nearly as long as his middle legs, not half the length, as the descriptions say they should be. I've put him in a smaller terrarium, and tomorrow will stock it with leaves, sticks, and whatever appropriately sized food I can catch.
Anyway, I don't yet know how active I'll be in this forum, but I thought I'd at least introduce myself and my two (as yet unnamed) Mantidae pets.
I must say, I now completely understand why some of you are so enthusiastic about mantids. I’m just sorry to read these guys’ life spans are so short they’re unlikely to survive the Fall. As I’m equally unlikely to find replacements in the Virginia winter, perhaps I’ll have to purchase some after these two leave for the great eternal bug-feast in the sky.
- John C.
P.S. I’m always open to suggestions, corrections, etc. if I have anything wrong, or should know something I’m missing. I’m quite new to this mantid thing, so have no ego in the matter for you to offend.
I just found this forum and thought I'd introduce myself, as it seems the thing to do.
My name is John and I’m a professional computer geek, with a second job teaching a psychology course at a small local college. That tells you my two college majors. My minor was in religion. My hobbies include nature photography, tennis, and volunteering with youth. Every once in a while I’ll pick up my bagpipes, which I once played competitively but now play only for friends’ weddings and the like.
Of course, other than taking pictures of them, or enthusiastically teaching boy scouts about them, none of this has anything to do with my lifelong love of critters. Sometimes I think I should have become a biologist, then have found a way to earn a paycheck while identifying undiscovered species in remote rainforests. But alas, for now I must be content with what I can discover here in southeastern Virginia.
Fortunately, a few weeks ago I discovered a 4 inch long, bright green mantid standing guard in the middle of a nighttime tennis court. Recklessly violating everything I was taught as a child about these “endangered species” I brought it home with me, and quickly fell in love. After much searching online, I finally observed the vivid orange spot between his front coxae and concluded he's a Narrow Winged Mantis. Hands down, this guy has the coolest personality of any insect I've ever caught. His apparent curiosity, general boldness, and quirky habits combine with that articulating neck to give him an expressive personality unmatched by any insect I know of.
I was never allowed to keep mantids as a child growing up in Florida, as my parents told me they are endangered species and must be left untouched in the wild. So while researching what species I had smuggled home, I was delighted to learn these mantids are NOT protected, meaning I could keep him! I soon setup a terrarium, stocking it with wild moths and other bugs attracted by my front porch light, plus a selection of store-bought crickets. He spends most of his time hanging upside down from the screen on top of the enclosure. A few times a week I coax him out, enjoy letting him hang out on my arm for a while, then return him to the floor of the tank, where he usually promptly pounces on whatever hapless bug first comes within reach.
I just caught another mantid tonight, on another tennis court. This one is 2 inches long, mottled brown with green legs, has chocolate eyes (at least, this time of night) and black spots inside the base of his front coxae. I'm guessing he's a Carolina Mantid, though his antennae are nearly as long as his middle legs, not half the length, as the descriptions say they should be. I've put him in a smaller terrarium, and tomorrow will stock it with leaves, sticks, and whatever appropriately sized food I can catch.
Anyway, I don't yet know how active I'll be in this forum, but I thought I'd at least introduce myself and my two (as yet unnamed) Mantidae pets.
I must say, I now completely understand why some of you are so enthusiastic about mantids. I’m just sorry to read these guys’ life spans are so short they’re unlikely to survive the Fall. As I’m equally unlikely to find replacements in the Virginia winter, perhaps I’ll have to purchase some after these two leave for the great eternal bug-feast in the sky.
- John C.
P.S. I’m always open to suggestions, corrections, etc. if I have anything wrong, or should know something I’m missing. I’m quite new to this mantid thing, so have no ego in the matter for you to offend.
