Which species (apart from Gongylus) can be kept communally?

[Gabrieloak67]

Any thoughts on the above? I love mantids but the space, all the separate tanks/ jars, boxes!!

Also I'm new here, can't work out how the polls work; is there a page with all the polls on somewhere cos if so I'm a bit thick cos I can't find it!

Cheers.

 

[Isis]

Phyllocrania paradoxa, Ceratomantis saussurii....

 

[wuwu]

s. pretiosa, and the dead leafs can also pretty communal. but keep in mind that communal means that they're just LESS LIKELY to cannabilize. it doesn't mean they won't. from my experience, any of these "communal" species won't hessitate to make a meal out of another while they're in the process of molting and they're hungry enough. i've lost lobatas, pretiosas, and a violin that way.

 

[Rick]

I have had decent luck keeping miomantis paylukki. Might of spelled that wrong but egyptian mantids are what I am talking about. Only problem is the males will constantly mate with the females.

 

[Alex 1]

I wouldn't take any chances with p. paradoxa. My breeding attempt failed because the female killed all 3 of her mates without even mating. I even waited a few weeks before introduction.

 

[Isis]

I kept the first generation of P.p. together till subimago and they were just fine together, however I must admit that they require a lot of space, because they are more agressive when they see each other too often.

We cannot forget these creatures are all mantids so they tend to be aggresive. I've lost a C. saussurii even though being very cautious, feeding them a lot and so on- one just suddenly attacked. These things happen.

 

[Orin]

I have 20, 2" T.aridifolia in a 1 gallon jar that seem to get along pretty well. It depends on what you define as communal living and how many you're willing to lose. Gongylus eat each other's heads from time to time.

 

[Christian]

Hi.

I keep all my mantids communally, except of adult and subadult females of Iris, Ameles and some Hierodula/Rhombodera.

Regards,

Christian

 

[Jay]

What Christian says really makes sense. From a book that I read once it said that, given enough space and food, many mantis species can be kept communally. I have seen a large number of adult female mantises kept together at the San Francisco Insect Zoo and I wondered how they did it. How do you do it Christian?- Do you just give your mantids enough food, space, and foliage/sticks hiding places to be able to keep from eating each other?

 

[Christian]

Hi.

I use larger terrariums, about 30x30x50 or 30x30x60 cm, some even larger, and living plants in most of them, so they can retire from an oponent if necessary. Some of mines even sit close to each other without harming themselves. It does not work with all species, but with most. Of course, food supply should be best and the density in the cage not too high. Injuries and low frequencies of cannibalism may occur, though. Empusids and Sibyllids can be kept communally anyway.

Regards,

Christian

 

[Christian]

Hi.

I use larger terrariums, about 30x30x50 or 30x30x60 cm, some even larger, and living plants in most of them, so the mantids can retire from an oponent if necessary. Some of mines even sit close to each other without harming themselves. It does not work with all species, but with most. Of course, food supply should be best and the density in the cage not too high. Injuries and low frequencies of cannibalism may occur, though. Empusids and Sibyllids can be kept communally anyway.

Regards,

Christian