Mantid Madness!

[hcarlton]

Maybe it's blasphemy to raise some of the things that either compete with our plants for their precious food or become food, but this is my newest hobby...or at least the first time I'm trying more than one species and having success

Mantids need food of course, and the dubias I'm raising for them are almost as fun to document:
juvenile dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
female dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Male dubia roach by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

My first species, Giant African lined mantids currently dubbed Lucy, Fred, Ethel, and Desi (though I'm only certain of the sex on Lucy currently)
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

2nd species and my only current adults, 2 female (one mated already) and 1 male African budwing mantids
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -female #1 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -female #2 by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Parasphendale affinis -male by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Species 3, African spiny flower mantis. Babies mimic ants, but the adults are adapted to living on fluffy flowers
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Species 4, Giant African stick mantis. They'll get up to 6 or more inches long, and constantly look disappointed with my decisions in life
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And my final species, an undesignated African ground mantis. For their size they've got the biggest attitudes, and constantly defense display and communicate with each other with abdomen flexing and arm pumping
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The current largest one
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

[Horizon46]

Wow ! I like mantis, very interesant to look at them moving or hunting ☺
In the past I had some mantis but I could not keep them alive... Stik bug were more easy to breed 😉
Keep sharing pictures when they will get bigger !

[deninkorea]

Nice Mantis! What is the website you use to get them? Thanks!

[hcarlton]

Didn't use a website for most of them; other breeders have a lot of species available and often at better prices, but I did get the Sphodro's from US Mantis.

And, I couldn't imagine most stick insects being easier than mantids, when so many of them require specific foods that might be especially hard to source in winter seasons; keeping them misted (as they do need to drink) is one thing that is a necessity every couple days, but otherwise it's a lot of raise food insects and keep the temperatures optimal, not too different from raising and fertilizing plants in a lot of ways.

[bogman]

Wow! Mantis are such amazing insects. I've always wanted to raise  the Pink Orchid and Ghost Mantis, but figured they were unobtainable. I've been raising Pandinus/Emperor Scorpions for years, but I think my wife would be happier with tanks of Mantis!

We still have reasonably sound populations of Carolina Mantis here, despite competition/predation by the Chinese import.

A few years ago, we had a major emergence of a green Mantispid, Mantis Flies. I'd never seen them before, but they were everywhere. Haven't seen them since. Even though they aren't related, the share some of that cool, mantis look.

Those wahlbergii sure are cute!

[Horizon46]

Aug 20, 2017 3:28:17 GMT -5 hcarlton said:

And, I couldn't imagine most stick insects being easier than mantids, when so many of them require specific foods that might be especially hard to source in winter seasons; keeping them misted (as they do need to drink) is one thing that is a necessity every couple days, but otherwise it's a lot of raise food insects and keep the temperatures optimal, not too different from raising and fertilizing plants in a lot of ways.

The stick insect I had were living in a big box I had made, I given them blackberry leafs once a week and mist them 3 times a week... It works very well for them ! I had 4 species.
For the mantis I don't know...I tried once with two kind but they died rapidly...

Anyway It's such a nice insect !

[hcarlton]

Aug 20, 2017 6:42:44 GMT -5 bogman said:

Wow! Mantis are such amazing insects. I've always wanted to raise  the Pink Orchid and Ghost Mantis, but figured they were unobtainable. I've been raising Pandinus/Emperor Scorpions for years, but I think my wife would be happier with tanks of Mantis!

Haven't seen any pink orchid mantids for sale (though perhaps that's just a color form that pops up here and there if it's not a separate species) but the white ones and ghost mantids are for sale all over the place right now.

[coursair]

Nice Mantids ! I wanted the pink Orchid Mantis as well. The past owner of East Bay Vivarium had brought a few in years ago. When he had the Bone Room in Berkeley. He lost a lot, but I think there is more knowledge nowadays.

I used to raise Dubia Roaches as well when I had my Tarantula collection. And my Bearded Dragons would try them sometimes.

I enjoyed my Reptiles, Amphibians and Tarantulas...but I cut back cuz life happens.

Planted fish tanks now, CPs and competing with my Whippets keeps me busy.

Your pics make me want to acquire some, but for now...I'll just enjoy the pics. Yours look very healthy !!

[bogman]

Aug 20, 2017 21:13:40 GMT -5 hcarlton said:

Haven't seen any pink orchid mantids for sale (though perhaps that's just a color form that pops up here and there if it's not a separate species) but the white ones and ghost mantids are for sale all over the place right now.

Hymenopus coronatus apparently can change color, but I can't verify that; it sounds questionable. They do have a range of color. Some sub adult females can be pretty striking, bright pink. The ones seen for sale are pricey, USmantis wants $40 each or 3/$100. Lotta dough for bugs. It'd be best to work up to that one, though the temperature requirements look easy enough.

[hcarlton]

Pseudocreobotra wahlbegii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbegii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbegii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Big enough to take on flies now...
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Turns out I had these mislabeled...
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta occidentalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And m first Elmantis molted to adult yesterday! Pretty sure it's male (which means I'm not great at telling the sex at younger ages just yet on this species), so now I need a female to mature...
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

[bogman]

The Heterochaeta really look alien, those eyes. So, would that be Giant Oriental/Asian/Eastern Stick Mantis, given the Latin name? Or are these found on multiple continents? (Or...scientific error, e.g. Capsicum chinense, from the Americas?)

Very cool! Thanks for posting.

[hcarlton]

No, orientalis is still a tropical African mantid, and I would bet the name has little to do with "Oriental" per se. Also, apparently other than Giant African Stick mantis, they're also known as the "Cat Mantis."

[hcarlton]

Caught several of the spinys in molt the past couple weeks
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the adult Elmantis female has laid 2 ooths!
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. ooth by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Caught her in the act with the 2nd yesterday
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Sphodromantis lineola by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Heterochaeta orientalis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
A different kind of skinny mantid
Thesprotia graminis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The spinys are developing some interesting colors; some are green, some are beige, this guy is Mr. Pink
Mr. Pink (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii) by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

[hcarlton]

That first ooth that the Elmantis female laid hatched...and I have 42 little babies now! Can't keep them all, so once they molt for the first time I'll probably be putting most of them up for sale...
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
They might be slightly larger than the fruit flies they're eating...
Elmantis sp. by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

[bogman]

Congratulations! So, do all newborns get separated quickly, i.e. individual containers? Or, will they avoid cannibalism if given enough food (as scorpions usually behave)?