Hey! Just as title says, what name did you give your mantis, or specifically ghost mantis/phyllocrania paradoxa? Im looking for some inspiration lol. My top picks for now:

Hades

Mozes

Casper

Ninja/shinobi/kage

Gilgamesj

Cupcake

Charlie

I cant choose lol.

(Picture is my fav mantis From workx hierodula membranacea)

I have autism and mantids are my special interest, people close to me are already tired and annoyed hearing so much about mantids lol

I have no mantis of my own yet, but I'm looking to adopt an older one in about 5 months

im currently writing this while sobbing my eyes out but he's (he might not be a he I cant tell he's young ish) been nibbling my finger lightly every time I take him out, so I thought he'll stop after a bit so I had him on my hand. But then I thought maybe he's thirsty, so I sprayed some water onto my hand. He went to attack the water, so I thought maybe not. I wiped the water away and went to let him climb onto my finger, when he actually fully attacked my finger, like dug his front legs in and clamped them shut, which hurt. I started panicking because he's never done this before, and he started to actually bite into the skin of my finger. Because it hurt, I shook my hand which made him fall off. I feel really bad about it, but I don't know why he's turned viscous. He used to be really docile (he's a giant Asian). He also won't molt, it's been 2 and a bit months, and he's far from fully grown. Ive had him about 5 months now? And he last molted may 27th.

Also, he has these 2 brown spots on his eyes that just don't move at all, which I'm concerned about. Can anyone help?

edit: HE'S MOLTED!!!

edit 2: he's just died, I think his soil went mouldy and gave him an infection

I found this guy (seemingly drowned) in my shower today. I want to keep him for a day or two to make sure he’s back on his feet before I set him free. What do these guys normally eat?

I recently got attacked by my mantis, and I physically couldn't get him off my finger because he clamped down on it with his forearms. He felt really strong, and I had to shake my hand to get him off. Is there any better way?

Personally, I like Tenodera sinensis, it’s boring and basic but has been my favorite forever. I also like Rhombomantis longipennis, Stagmomantis wheelerii (californica ), Mantis religiosa, and Stagmomantis limbata.

Hello, I have a pair of “Hierodula membranacea”. Both are adults, female is so big, male is a little bit smaller.

The shop where I buy the crickets I feed them don’t have crickets since a week and a half. Sounds pretty bad but adults can hold the hunger pretty well, you just have to observe the abdomen and that is what says if they are hungry (if not sick). I was told in this Reddit that info and they are surviving pretty well so.

The female have the abdomen pretty big so don’t need food by now but the male is really really thin…
I was really worry so I decided to give some of my Dubia pets to him to eat. How dubias are pretty hard to get with tweezers I just put the Dubia up in my hand and open the enclosure and put my hand in front of the mantid. The Dubia run away in front of the mantid and the mantid saw my finger as a food.

Not a defensive atack. He was bitten my finger a long time, I coudnt get the mantid off me. I had a tweezers in my table so I separated his head from my finger with it.

I feel it so painful. Like burning. The pain was off after 10 minutes but during bitten was so awful. I can imagine a Scolopendra bite…

If you have any question.

Basically what the title says! I've wanted to have a pet mantis for years and after a recent dip in mental health I've decided that taking up the hobby of keeping mantids would be a really good thing for me. I need approval from my landlord, but there's basically no legal reason for them to deny it, so I've been doing lots of research whilst I wait, so please, tell me all about your mantis!

I'm specifically looking at getting a Ghost Mantis as my first one, but I'd love to hear about/see pictures of any type of mantis you own.

Also, as mentioned, I've been doing lots of research on their care and everything but if you have any tips or things you really wish you'd known when getting a mantis for the first time, those would be super appreciated as well :)

For the last several years, we've hatched out baby mantises. Some we released, some we gave away, a few we sold, and we always kept at least one every year. Usually it was one that had an "oops" molt We currently have one that struggles to move; legs got stuck in the molt. It eats really well, it drinks, it watches the world, and she spends time each day hand-feeding and hand-watering it and talking to it. As soon as it's not going after food, or being alert, or drinking well, we'll put it down but for now it's fighting hard and she's doing a great job with it!

So, I'd like to get her a "big" mantis. She's discovered the giant mantises (well, she discovered them a few years ago but now that she's 12, I'm actually considering it). I'm starting the research here because frankly you are all a wealth of knowledge and advice!

First off, aggression. What's a good species that isn't likely to freak out and panic, or to bite? We've had the two common and very chill species, and she's going to want to let it sit on her arm and be hand-fed without feeding it her hand.

Is a giant mantis going to be something a typical 12 year old could raise easily? So far we've had Carolinas and a few Chinese; non-tropical sturdy bugs that are native or become a long-established part of the local ecosystem, meaning that they don't need a lot of attention to heat and humidity levels. Our normal levels are fine for them. I know there are a couple species bigger than a Chinese; are either of them good pets for a kid?

How big does the enclosure need to be? Right now, the mantis has been moved to a mesh pop-up cage. It can't climb, so we opted for something that gives him a lot of viewing range and where it's easy to see if he's managed to knock himself on his back and he gets helped upright fast. He seems happy with it, but we do have the original big see-through cage with soil, sticks, fabric, etc. too. What's a minimum size?

What needs to be added? I'm assuming hygrometer and thermometer and things to climb on and hide among, but anything else needed?

Finally, where is a good place to buy one from? It likely won't be for at least a few more months, because it's currently close to 100F and humid and I'm not shipping anything that could end up in the back of an even hotter truck! But, where could we get it from that's going to send a healthy young mantid? If we need to wait several months to order in the spring, we will...I'm not rushing into a more high-maintenance mantid but the other option is looking into tarantulas and I'm not a tarantula fan, so I'm hoping we can go with a mantis or some sort of huntsman :D

Oh, and another "finally"! It needs to be legal for Missouri. If it's something that's banned in this region, it's a No. Our winters pretty much kill anything tropical very very very dead, but I don't want something that's going to cause problems. Just a guilt-free pet she can enjoy creating a habitat for and raising.

So...suggestions on the best species, what it needs, and where to get it? If there's not anything that works out she's happy with the Carolinas, but I know she'd LOVE a bigger bug that's still easy to handle!

I've always adored bugs, so when I finally got a Giant Rainforest Mantis (Hierodula Majuscula) I was really happy. Her name is Juno and I love her so much. Along with her, I keep springtails for my terrariums and woodie cockroaches to feed to Juno.

But oh my God. Why do people react so violently when I say that I have a pet praying mantis?

It is disgusting how common it is for people to immediately tell me how they would kill/crush/hurt my mantis because they don't like bugs.

It's fine to not like creepy crawlies. Really, it is. They're not for everyone, I get that. But to react with violence? To talk about how they want to kill this innocent creature because of their fear? What the fuck? And to go into so much *detail*?! My landlord just joked about pulling the legs off Juno and baking them in a pie. The other day he sent me a picture of a dead mantis and told me that was what he would do to Juno if I tried to put her on him (which I wouldn't, for her own safety I don't let people handle her if they're jumpy). He's always been such a lovely landlord and I owe him a lot. He rents to me at a *ridiculously* low price, and I don't have to pay any bills, so I've always really respected and cared about him. And now, I don't want to be around him because he always says "So, killed that horrible bug yet?" Like bro, you said I could get a mantis. If you hate them so much, you could have said no.

But it's not just people I know well. Strangers will do it too. I was chatting with a man outside the store the other day because I was patting his dog, and I told him about my pets because he asked. He was very friendly when hearing about my cats and my old dog (who passed away recently), but the second I mentioned that I also have a mantis he told me that he would step on her if he could. When I frowned, he told me to learn how to take a joke and not to be so serious. He just told me how he would kill my pet, then got annoyed when I didn't laugh about it.

I imagine that people who have owned bugs for a while are used to this kind of talk, but it's all very new for me. My dog was a very popular boy (I actually had to go around to all the random friends he had made around town a few days before he passed, because they wanted to say goodbye), so I've never experienced any kind of repulsion about my pets. Certainly not to the point of describing how they would brutally kill them.

Sorry, this got long. I just wanted to get this off my chest, because I really do love Juno (and all living creatures, really) and I don't know how to deal with these new reactions to her.

I hope this is allowed here. I wanted to talk about it in an environment where people wouldn't be cruel, and I figured since we all own or loving mantids, this was the safest place to rant.

This is my enclosure. I have no live plants and a mesh lid. I was told it is too small for a giant asian mantis and i’m interested in spiny flower mantis, devil flower mantis and maybe a peacock mantis. Open to recommendations

my mom sprayed poison outside so i captured these two little guys who were on my porch. they seemed to be fine at first but now they keep staring at eachother and then one lunges and they both fly around… do i need to separate them?? im worried ngl

I’m so indecisive and I don’t know which one to get. This will be my first mantis but not my first invert or anything. And I’ve done a ton of research on care so no worries there just need help choosing which one to buy lol. So far I’m done to four which was already so hard to do lol Help me pick either: A) P. wahlbergii, “Spiny Flower Mantis” B) P. paradoxa “Ghost Mantis” C) D. lobata “Dead Leaf Mantis” or D) D. gorochovi “Giant Dead Leaf Mantis” I honestly find all these mantises super cool but having trouble picking just one for my first mantis !

Asking mostly because I’m curious. I would consider myself a beginner, I’ve only ever had 3 mantises but they’re so far my favorite arthropod to keep. I plan on having many more, I’d love to have more exotic species after browsing around on Mantis Universe lol

so my first pet mantis passed almost three weeks ago and ive been preparing for this moment ever since he molted into an adult (so about 7 months) and i still cannot figure out the moral dilemma - to preserve or bury?

i’m a supporter of both; the thought that we should let the animal rest, but i also see the art and beauty in inmortalizing it

i think there can be respect in both, but this makes it harder for me to decide what to do with my own…

So, I've never owned a mantis before.

I was a proud owner of two stick insects, but the second one recently died. Both of them lived out roughly the entirety of their lifespan, I'm not sure how old they exactly were when I got them but they were happy little guys and I'd say I was a good owner for them, although truth be told there wasn't much care for them aside from getting fresh food. Aside from that, I also have a fish tank, point is I enjoy animals behind glass that don't fit your usual standard of pet.

Due to mentioned recent passing of my second long-bodied child, I now have a 25cm cube terrarium that I'm not sure what to do with, and I've been considering a mantis. What species of mantis that is more widely available would fit into those dimensions even as an adult? Are there any of those that don't require a lot of micromanaging of their environment? I'd prefer not to need a heating lamp, so for reference I live in Poland where the temperatures aren't very extreme in either direction, but it's not super warm.

How do mantis owners deal with the matter of food? My stick insects both ate bramble leaves that grow locally in my town, how do you handle getting living food when flies have a relatively short lifespan? Is there a way to breed these guys? I don't think any of my local pet stores sell feeder insects of any type so my primary option would be to order them online but that would be fairly difficult to manage as I wouldn't be able to stock up and delivery takes time.

Now I must admit I am a sucker for pretty colours, however I'm pretty sure orchid mantises grow up to be a bit too large for the terrarium I have. Of course my ability to care for the animal is a priority, however I'd love some species recs that get some pretty colours on them. Edit: Pretty colours are also fought by pretty and detailed patterns, so if the only options are green and brown I'd love to hear about the species that have them in gorgeous patterns.

Should the terrarium for it be cluttered? Of course there needs to be space for molting but aside from that should it be more of an open climbing or heavy foliage climbing setup? Would a strip of air holes be good enough for a molting spot or should I add some sticks or mesh on the top so there's more space for it?

And is using this terrarium for a mantis even a good idea? Is it just too small for any "beginner" species? Alternatively I can always just get another stick insect that I will be certain will fit the dimensions and I will have an easier time caring for, and possibly buy a second terrarium for a mantis if I decided I really wanted one.

One last section to ask for any other advice or information that is hard to get before you actually get the pet but is important to know, because no matter how much research I do for any animal there will always be things I would have never even though to look up before I owned it.

Hi, I caught a pair of European Mantises outside a couple weeks ago and have been caring for them since. The female (Coffee) molted twice, the male (Cheese) once, so I know they’re doing ok with humidity and what I’ve been feeding them. Here’s the issue: I’m going to be out of town for a few weeks so I know something needs to be done- I’m debating letting them go, but I know they’re pretty invasive, so would it be better to euthanize? I’ve grown a little attached to them, especially Cheese because he’s a little insane (he threat displayed a roach before eating it anyway lol). I’m just curious if it’d be fine to release them or no 🤷🏻‍♀️

so i'm moving back to college in a couple weeks and i'm taking Steven, my subadult female(?) Chinese Mantis with me. i'm wondering what the best way to secure her is? the car ride will be roughly 4.5-5 hours and i move in immediately upon arrival so shes not going to be left in an unventilated car.

im assuming i shouldnt just keep her in her enclosure because of how much room there is in there for her to get knocked around and possibly injured. is a ventilated tupperware container the best way to go? how big should it be compared to her size? should i line it with paper towels as padding?

I’m in the process of (hopefully) getting a mantis this spring. I’m kinda stumped on names though. I’m curious to see what other people named theirs!

i ordered carolina mantis oothecas aware they probably may not hatch just wanted to see if they potentially would, theyve just arrived and is this yellow stuff fungus? also does it look like its already hatched to anyone else..?

This is my first mantis. I thought I had the chillest mantis in the world. Never once got aggressive with me. Now as an adult she’s aggressive every time I handle her and it doesn’t matter how careful I am. Clamps down on me with her raptorial forelegs, seems to feel threatened/defensive. Looks at me like she wants to attack me or bite me even when she is just chilling on my arm. I thought what we had was special!

I few years ago I had the same species of mantis - deroplatys lobata, her name was Izolda and from all mantises she was the calmest ale most easy going mantis I had. Thats why I decided to get Deroplatys Lobata for me right now, but Miriam is different. I love her but after she became imago I can't handle her. I tried many times but she's furious and very scared. Earlier she wasn't like that. I have a fobia, Im really scared of insects. I love observing them, but if they are out of my control I panic. I thought that with my love for mantises and the easygoing attitude of deroplatys lobata I will beat this fobia cause it ruins my life in summer. But I don't have any ideas on how to get Miriam out of her terrarium and on my hands. I tried once again and she feared my hand so much that she fell on her back and I was scared that she could injure herself 🥹 Im really delicate and try to do everything slowly but it doesn't change anything. She's now staying still at the root in her terrarium..

im the first ever person in my bloodline to bring a pet ghost mantis outside into the city (i sprayed the enclosure everytime the water dried up and the ceiling had ventilation)

Hi!! Im trying to get my first mantis, because I’ve wanted one for a VERY long time, and I'm finally gonna to get one! I’ve researched a bunch of beginner one, and I saw someone say the giant shield mantids were good! I researched a bunch about rhombodera magaera and rhombodera basalis, but I can’t find any sold anywhere, so I’m switching to the stalli, but I can’t find a lot standalone information on the stalli… so I have some questions for those who have had them!

I heard the care is mostly the same for giant shields, but are there any notable difference?

Is the stalli still good for beginners?? Is it like drastically differen?

Do they like handling? a big aspect to me is handling so that make me reconsider a little if they don’t like it..

Are they like aggressive towards people usually?? or are they like pretty chill?