Praying mantid (please help)

by **mania** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:51 pm

Hi
My dad found this guy on one of the bikes that came in today. I wanna try keep him for a while so can you guys please tell me what to keep him in, with what accesories in the enclosure? Does he only eat insects and if so would crickets be ok? And must I keep a small bowl with water with cotton in the water for him to drink from? And any other info will be great.

by **neko** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:01 pm

It looks like a leaf mantid Phyllocrania paradoxa

Here is a care sheet on them.
http://www.chameleonnews.com/mantids.html

From what I can find it seems that crickets will do fine.

by **mania** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:41 pm

Thanks alot Pinky. So far he has eaten a cricket so seems to be good.

by **snake-5** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:49 am

Very nice, put some branches and leaves in the tank and let him feel homely.

by **Quintin** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:09 am

WOW... I just love them even though iv'e never tried keeping them.. That one would make a nice specimen for some macro photography! :cool:

Q

by **mania** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:37 am

Thanks guys, got branches in, just wanna add moss today. Then I will leave him alone for a day and try take photos and will post them. :-P

by **Ice Cold Milk** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:06 pm

I keep mantids in large containers, with mesh-lids. Make sure there's plenty space and things for her to climb on. They like to sit on the top, upside-down, and ambush hunt.
That's an adult probably, so it won't live long

So don't fret if it dies in the next few weeks to few months.

that thing sure is beautiful... where were the bikes' origins? I don't think we get mantids like that in Gauteng.

-=ICM=-

by **mania** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:59 pm

At the moment Ive got it in a smallish plastic container so will a bigger plastic container(like the corn snake starter kits) be ok?? It wll be sad if it dies soon cause I have never seen one like it so hopefully it lasts a while just to study it a bit. I will try find out tonight if it was a bike from the area or an import

by **Ice Cold Milk** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:57 am

Supposedly this species is native to Eastern Africa, also the Congo, namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa...

supposedly males have larger antennae, and longer wings, with an 8-segmented sternite, while the females have a "6 segmented" sternite.

as for keeping it, if the thing you have in mind is larger than what it's in now, i'm sure it will be good. These things are not sit and wait predators so much, so they will venture around a bit and could use the extra space.

-=ICM=-

by **mania** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:45 pm

My dad said the bike is from Johannesburg. So I think it's from South Africa. Just to find out what is a sternite? The corn snake container that I was going to put it in broke when I was cleaning it so I've got it in a plastic tank that is slightly higher.

by **Ice Cold Milk** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:11 pm

sternites are the ventral segments of the abdomen.

by **mania** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:58 pm

here are new pics of my mantis, and his enclosure.

by **mania** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:26 pm

I'm sad to say that this morning I found the mantid dead. He was quite fun keeping and watching feeding/drinking. Thanks again to all who helped.

by **Wouts** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:13 am

Mania, I found that good ventilation works very well for Mantids.
Your guy was probably at the end of his ropes anyway, but nice try anyway. They can be very entertaining never the less. Nice find

by **mania** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:59 am

Thanks Wouts. yeah they are. Yeah if I ever find one like that again, will try a more ventilated tank.

Praying mantid (please help)

Praying mantid (please help)

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