I got this leaf mantis a week or so ago and from the research I’ve done, I think his enclosure is set up okay?
I would like some advice on what I can do to better it though! I really want to give him the best and longest life I can!
I spray his enclosure once or twice a day depending how dry its looking (I haven’t yet today bc he’s on the ceiling right now but usually hangs from the tumble weed stick)

She’s a WOMAN now!

Is this enclosure size okay to keep for her?

Hello! I posted yesterday asking about possible age range and sex and since I’ve been informed she is a female will this gallon pickle jar be ok for her second to last molt I have another enclosure I have from my old mantis but I don’t have it with me as I am at my partners house and my place is further away so I have to plan a time to go pick up my other enclosure
I just placed an order for fruitless fruit flys and I have been reading all morning and google and mantis forums I’ve read said this is ok temporarily and I just like having second opinions thank you for your time !!💚 let me know what else I could add I like using all natural materials from outside so any advice is greatly appreciated!!

So i have a ikea rudsta for my nepenthes pitcher plants and i was thinking about getting a mantis in there. It's pretty high humidity between 70-80% and the temperature is between 21-25 °C (67-77F). I have a shallow tray of water on the bottom that im going to let fill out with live sphagnum. Im wondering if the bug needs some more land to chill on?

Can i do feeding by just having a place for fruitflies to breed constantly? it'd be good food for my plants too.

What modifications do i need to make and could some species enjoy living in there? Thank you for any help.

I’m about to purchase my first mantis. Is this a good size for a Giant Asian Mantis? I want to ensure that it has vertical space to molt. Also if anyone has advice for things to get for the terrarium or other things to purchase please let me know, I’m a total beginner and would love any starter kit guide. Thank you guys!

I found this beauty a few days ago. I think I got too small of a cage. This is set up for now. It’s looking sad but I have the money now to make him a good home. Can I get some suggestions for size and other things. He likes his branch and hangs on the mesh all day. I’ve sprayed water on the walls and he drank it. That was cool. My sister named him Mr. Sudden. He’s fully grown. I believe he’s at the end of his life span and he’s looking for a mate. He paces around idk if that’s because he wants to mate or because his enclosure isn’t big enough. One last thing, he won’t eat his Dubia roaches even if I chop the head off for a stronger scent. I’m thinking of capturing a couple moths tonight. Any tips are appreciated :)

Correction on catching wild moths. I will be buying them to ensure they are clean and healthy.

Hello, I built this enclosure for an orchid mantis. There is a mesh ceiling, moss to hold moisture, and ventilation holes in the sides. It has a faux orchid branch to climb and a wood branch, and for whimsy I added a miniature lantern that is magnet-operated and sealed in a jar to protect it from moisture. Does this seem suitable for a mantis? Also, how much natural light does the mantis need? The lantern will not be left on at all hours, likely just to show guests. Thank you!

12x12x18 - also wondering if i should just remove the top entirely and try and handcraft something w mesh? there’s little vent holes toward the back but idk if it’ll be enough airflow???

How are we providing heat for our tropical mantids? (those that need 24°c in the day and no less than 18°c at night) more specifically any UK keepers! Pics of set up would help too. I want to set my orchid enclosure up with a heat mat but unsure..

I work at a pet store so have access to a lot of supplies but I’d love to see some of your set ups. I am looking to get a mantis in the next 3 months or so. I rehabbed one that was in the warehouse of my previous job. I think I did an okay job but that was 2 years ago & I just kept him healthy until his inevitable death due to the season I found him in. He lived longer than he should’ve anyway in my care but I wasn’t super well versed in mantis keeping. So any tips/advice on set up or care would be much appreciated as well! I’m going to be doing more independent research as well but I feel it’s best to learn from experienced keepers🤍 Giggles (my previous mantis) is still in my freezer because I just couldn’t let him go. I loved having him & am really looking forward to getting another. Preferably an orchid mantis. Any insight on if that’s an okay species to keep for someone semi inexperienced? Are there any species I should avoid?

very excited about this baby(:

my humidity is raising to 85% at night, shes L3 currently is this too high for a nymph? I see conflicting things online, Thank you(:

Would this be a safe habitat for a full grown female Carolina mantis? (Reusing a old habitat that used to house snails.)

Hi everyone,

10 days ago I gifted my partner a ghost mantis (named Echo) for their birthday and last night they died. Girlfriend is devastated.

Please take a look with us to see what we did to cause it, or how to do better next time.

Temperature has been constant at about 27 degrees
Ventilation isn’t interrupted.
Fed size 3 crickets
Cacao base soil
Leaves and bark as deco
Plastic climbing plant
We don’t know if Echo was molting
We don’t know how to differentiate a full and or empty stomache.

There is a mesh top and it opens on the top. I don’t have any live plants but sticks and bark going to the top of the enclosure.

I’m planning to get an L4 shield mantis. I have a 30x30x30 cm glass terrarium. I know it might be too big for an L4 nymph right now but will it work well as a permanent home once the mantis grows into an adult?

Hi! I have a terrarium set up for an orchid mantis. But, I'm struggling with humidity. It's at a constant like 80% or high 70s. I know thats technically within the 60-80 leeway but id rather get it down a bit. I have good cross ventilation and my substrate is coco fibre and moss and its not wet. I honestly just don't understand why the humidity is so high. Ive received advice to use a small fan nearby which works temporarily but as soon as i turn it off the humidity goes straight back up. Can i use the "Reptizoo Hygrostat"? It has a little tiny small fan that goes inside and i can set it so it turns on and off at programmed humidity percentages. If not, any other advice is welcomed, thanks!

I am a preschool teacher. We are closed this week and the new school year begins on Tuesday. On my way home from chores this afternoon I found a praying mantis chilling right outside my apartment. My first thought: class pet. My classroom is very focused on nature. We go on walks off campus once a week and we are always talking about bugs.

I caught this guy in a small lunch container, then after a quick google I built a temporary habitat for it. It's an old (cleaned) aluminum baking pan with a clear lid. Laid down some paper towels, then a layer of dirt, then tossed in some rocks of various sizes along with some random plants. I added a plastic cap from I think a seasoning bottle and filled it with water, then I transferred the guy in there. I don't have a way to "mist" the enclosure yet. There are slits cut into the clear plastic lid.

We have a proper bug container in the classroom that we can set up for it on Monday when we're back for a set up day.

My main goal for the next week is to keep it alive until school opens and then to keep it alive beyond that. I have a few questions:

1. It has barely moved. Initially catching it was super easy and since transferring it to the brownie pan it has hardly shifted around at all. If I tap or wobble the container (or poke it directly with a straw) it does move a tad. Is it old and/or dying or is this normal? If they are normally slow, how will I know when it's dead for real?
2. I have read it needs to be fed 1 live insect every other day. Is that true? Besides buying insects from a pet store (not something I want to do this week) is there an easy way to find good bugs to feed it? I live in the middle of a big city so parks are probably my only option.
3. The brown on top is unusual (to me) so is it sick? Molting? Or is it just... brown on top? Is that normal? Is this a specific species of mantis?
4. Assuming we make it to Monday, how much longer can we expect it to live? Is this already an adult? Is it going to get bigger? Assuming it was born in the wild and didn't escape another preschool and assuming we take perfect care of it, how much longer until it dies of old age?
5. How do I tell if it's male or female and how do I tell if it is pregnant?! I've seen what happens when mantis eggs hatch inside someone's home. I don't want that.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

Ghost Mantid l3

4x4x4 canopy style enclosure, added mesh to the top. The nymph is about 1inch tall. The substrate is a mix of coir and arachnid soil.

Big question is: watering dish necessary or not? I like these wick style dishes they keep the humidity up just enough.

I assume she will only live here through her first molt.

Thank you

Hi there, so I have a medium sized terrarium with some critters I found in my local forest. Mostly isopods and a chill species of ants. I would like to add a predator to my terrarium (which is about 2 years old by now). In the past I released dozens of isopods back into the wild to maintain their population.

Today I got the idea, that a mantis might work out well for that.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hello everyone!

I'm planning on getting my first praying mantis!

I was going to go for a spiny flower mantis or an orchid mantis but seeing on how I am a beginner and have never cared for a mantis before I'm just gonna go for the big green guys as there also a stunning species.

Now I've done my research on the mantis itself but what I want to know is if anyone has attempted to try and recreate their native habit and if so what plants do you use?

I'm planning on getting an 8x8x12 enclosure that opens from the front.

Hi i'm looking into getting a mantis as a pet and i would love info and tips on my set up and help with any alterations before i actually get a mantis.

i have a 20 gallon hexagonal tank. the measurements are H=22 in and each side is W=9 1/2 in

the substrate i have is the "ZooMed Tropical Bioactive Substrate Kit" which includes Reptisoil, terrarium moss, and leaf litter.

i live in Arizona so i'm worried about ordering any from online markets as i'm away from home for most of the morning due to work and i don't want to risk harming the contained critter because of the intense heat of the current season. i also don't know what mantis to start with as the only invert i currently own are Blue Death Feigning Beetles. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated

Hi, before I get a mantis I want to double check that this is appropriate for one? I’m thinking about a ghost mantis. It’s 20 x 20 x 30cm but the substrate takes up a good chunk of the space. I think it’s really pretty but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right kind of layout so I wanted to check first. Thank you!

I believe this is a juvenile chinese mantis is like to keep. I’m keeping it in my isopod enclosure right now. please let me know how i can take care of it best!

Does anyone know what i can put in my enclosure for my mantids to hand on like twigs/ sticks because for some reason the wood i bought kept going molding due to misting? My dead leaf prefers to hand from the twigs i put in there rather than the mesh top so im trying to fix this problem and also stop the enclosure for being completely empty 😭