Giant African mantis

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Hi. My name is nicolle Lindsey. I have recently acquired an l3 giant African mantis. I am unsure of the sex but I have named her samurai. I have included a picture of her, her current enclosure and the one that she will be moving too once she gets through a couple molts.
I was provided fruit flies to feed her with but if you guys have any suggestions on other small foods to feed her then be my guest. Everything I find online is only for adults.
If you guys have any suggestions, tips or comments for me then please don't be afraid to speak up. Thanks I'm advance for your help

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I would try baby roaches, maybe house flies, or small crickets (banded crickets are safer than regular crickets).

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Are Dubia roaches and blue bottle fly acceptable?

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I have not raised Sphodromantis species before, but blue bottle flies are probably a little too large for an L3. I think it should be able to eat them by L4. Newborn dubias might also work.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Best picture I can get when she keeps moving but here is my samurai.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

Seeing its size compared to your hand, I think it might actually be able to eat blue bottle flies.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Ok. I'll look into getting some. I've been looking a Josh's frogs website

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

Josh's Frogs has both house flies and blue bottle flies. They also have banded crickets, which I think are great for mantids.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Hmm. I think I need to do more explorations of his page. It's kinda hard to see on my phone.

 

[Ratmosphere]

I'd use house flies. You just buy the pupa and wait for them to emerge.

 

[Simple Mans Nature]

I feed mine meal worms and young dubia. Their hunters. Not sit and wait predators like ghost mantids. They'll take food from your tongs. My favorite species of mantid so far.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

I feed mine meal worms and young dubia. Their hunters. Not sit and wait predators like ghost mantids. They'll take food from your tongs. My favorite species of mantid so far.

Is yours full grown? Mine is only l3.

 

[Simple Mans Nature]

Is yours full grown? Mine is only l3.

No their not full grown. Their either L4 or L5.the last molt was a pretty big change. But they do grow pretty past. You may have to cut little pieces of the mealworms if you want to go that route till it get to about l4 or L5. Or you have to pretty much use fruit flys.

 

[Simple Mans Nature]

No their not full grown. Their either L4 or L5.the last molt was a pretty big change. But they do grow pretty past. You may have to cut little pieces of the mealworms if you want to go that route till it get to about l4 or L5. Or you have to pretty much use fruit flys.

Or house fly like the other person said. I just hate ordering them. Most pupate in delivery. And I lost so much money. But of you get the sit and wait mantids like ghost mantids. You pretty much have to stick with flys from what I can tell with mine.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Or house fly like the other person said. I just hate ordering them. Most pupate in delivery. And I lost so much money. But of you get the sit and wait mantids like ghost mantids. You pretty much have to stick with flys from what I can tell with mine.

Yeah I'd probably have the same problem I live in south Houston. It's too warm here. She seems to like her fruit flies. She hunts them down like crazy. It's really amazing to watch.

 

[big54bob]

I feed mine the lesser mealworms that breed like rabbits in my dubia bin, she usually eats 2-3 in a sitting.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Samurai eating her first banded cricket. I almost thought it would be too big for her it took her so long to eat it.

 

[Simple Mans Nature]

Samurai eating her first banded cricket. I almost thought it would be too big for her it took her so long to eat it.

Their not afraid of much and will take down some big prey for their size lol! Another reason their my favorite.

 

[Nicolle Lindsey]

Yeah I think she's going to molt soon. She's refusing her food today. It's been 2 days since I fed her the cricket.

 

[Greasylake]

I like to give my mantids small crickets or red runners. Flies are such a pain to work with and as long as you feed your crickets right there's no problem using them. Also, there are many mantis species in Africa, so maybe you should use scientific names so we know exactly what you're talking about