hierodula membranacea advice

[Dylan Bruce]

Hey guys,

This is my first time keeping a mantis and have decided to go for a giant asian mantis nymph (L3+). I have kept tarantulas in the past so i know about the whole moulting cycle and pre moult phase where they will stop eating then shed. I've ordered the mantis and a 30x20x20cm enclosure for it as well which will be big enough for it at the nymph stage although it will probably outgrow it and have to go into a larger enclosure, I have a custom made one that is nearly ready that measures 350mm high by 350mm deep and 500mm long which i will probably put it in. so any advice on enclosure sizes and heating or just general tips and hints for a first time keeper will be much appreciated, i know online care sheets can be terrible and miss quite a lot out.

 

[Andrea82]

This is an easy species to keep, good job on choosing this for a first
Below posted caresheet has accurate info:
https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/species/giant-asian-mantis/

 

[Dylan Bruce]

This is an easy species to keep, good job on choosing this for a first
Below posted caresheet has accurate info:
https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/species/giant-asian-mantis/

thanks for that since it recommends a 30x30x20 enclosure I think I should put it into my larger enclosure after a few months, its probably a little on the large side but I would rather that than too small.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

I also meant to add a little question about the feeding schedule for these guys, if fed every day through the week could they go two days without food over the weekend?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Yeah they can! Just make sure the mantis is fat.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

Yeah they can! Just make sure the mantis is fat.

yeah I'll keep it nicely fed through the week but most weekend I'm away for a day or two. ill just spray the enclosure and feed it before I leave and as soon as i get home.

 

[darkness975]

I keep this species. They are fairly easy to look after. I spray mine once a day for water. As adults I feed them every other day or every 3 days as long as their abdomens are plump enough. At smaller instars I often feed them a bit more to get them larger faster but that is me. As long as the abdomen is plump (but not dangerously enlarged) then they're fine. They have a tendency to over-eat (like a lot of other inverts) so make sure you monitor that abdomen. If it is too large and dragging them down its a rupture risk.

They spend 98% of their lives hanging upside down from the lid, even though they have a whole jungle of leaves and vines to climb through. Go figure.

Ensure that there is enough room for it to molt. They molt by hanging upside down from a branch or the lid (most of the time in captivity it's the lid) and they molt downwards. It is imperative that there is enough room for it to stretch downwards during molting, and it is also important that the lid is made of a material that it can securely grip. I keep mine in 2.5 gallon glass Aquariums with a metal mesh lid and I cover half of it with saran wrap to help keep in some moisture.

This is a Sphodromantis spp. but I keep them similarly to the Hierodula spp. Normally there are more plants inside the Enclosure and a nice stick going across but I was in the middle of cleaning the Enclosure on this one.

 

[Dylan Bruce]

I keep this species. They are fairly easy to look after. I spray mine once a day for water. As adults I feed them every other day or every 3 days as long as their abdomens are plump enough. At smaller instars I often feed them a bit more to get them larger faster but that is me. As long as the abdomen is plump (but not dangerously enlarged) then they're fine. They have a tendency to over-eat (like a lot of other inverts) so make sure you monitor that abdomen. If it is too large and dragging them down its a rupture risk.

They spend 98% of their lives hanging upside down from the lid, even though they have a whole jungle of leaves and vines to climb through. Go figure.

Ensure that there is enough room for it to molt. They molt by hanging upside down from a branch or the lid (most of the time in captivity it's the lid) and they molt downwards. It is imperative that there is enough room for it to stretch downwards during molting, and it is also important that the lid is made of a material that it can securely grip. I keep mine in 2.5 gallon glass Aquariums with a metal mesh lid and I cover half of it with saran wrap to help keep in some moisture.

This is a Sphodromantis spp. but I keep them similarly to the Hierodula spp. Normally there are more plants inside the Enclosure and a nice stick going across but I was in the middle of cleaning the Enclosure on this one. View attachment 252098
View attachment 252099

Thanks for the advice mate, the enclousure I have on the way is made by a company called the spider shop here in the UK and it's tailored more to arboreal tarantulas but it should be fine for a mantis nymph http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/20-x-20-x-30-p-3795.html
As for the custom made one that is nearly ready it's made of acrylic but I'll make sure to fix some mesh to the lid so it has a place to hang and moult. I also have an an old aquarium I could adapt if I can find a way to make a mesh lid for it.