# Anyone keep Predatory Katydids Neobarrettia spinosa?



## chanda (May 23, 2017)

I have the opportunity to purchase some Neobarrettia spinosa hatchlings and would appreciate any tips on caring for them. I know the basics - they need to be kept separately so they don't eat each other, with a fair amount of space, plenty of food, good ventilation, and in a warm place - but I'd love to hear from someone who has actual experience with them. Anything special I should do? Or avoid? 
Thanks!

Reactions: Like 3


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## VolkswagenBug (May 23, 2017)

chanda said:


> I have the opportunity to purchase some Neobarrettia spinosa hatchlings and would appreciate any tips on caring for them. I know the basics - they need to be kept separately so they don't eat each other, with a fair amount of space, plenty of food, good ventilation, and in a warm place - but I'd love to hear from someone who has actual experience with them. Anything special I should do? Or avoid?
> Thanks!


Where are you getting them from, or is it just exclusive to you? I _really _want one of these. 
Anyway, that sounds okay to me, but I haven't kept them personally, so IDK.


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## Sarkhan42 (May 23, 2017)

chanda said:


> I have the opportunity to purchase some Neobarrettia spinosa hatchlings and would appreciate any tips on caring for them. I know the basics - they need to be kept separately so they don't eat each other, with a fair amount of space, plenty of food, good ventilation, and in a warm place - but I'd love to hear from someone who has actual experience with them. Anything special I should do? Or avoid?
> Thanks!


There's not very much info out there from what I could gather, but access to food I believe is relatively important. They're going to need to eat relatively often, probably on par with mantids. I'm also curious as to where you found these, very cool!


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## pannaking22 (May 23, 2017)

Glad to hear someone finally offering young nymphs! Seems like the only time you'd be able to get them was late in the summer when adults started popping up. Sounds like you've got the care down, but I would also provide a nice vertical surface for molting. These guys may not necessarily need it, but non-cricket Orthoptera tend to do better with a vertical molting surface (thanks gravity!). I'd feed them at least twice a week if possible. Don't know if there's a recommended food or not, I think if it's alive or was recently alive they'll probably eat it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Galapoheros (May 23, 2017)

Do the eggs overwinter and hatch out in Spring with these?  I live in the Austin tx area and was surprised to find some on the road at night around here.


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## chanda (May 23, 2017)

VolkswagenBug said:


> Where are you getting them from, or is it just exclusive to you? I _really _want one of these.
> Anyway, that sounds okay to me, but I haven't kept them personally, so IDK.


I'm getting them from a guy in Orange County via a Craigslist ad: https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/for/6124352915.html

I don't know if he would be willing/able to ship - I'll be driving out to pick them up in person.

Reactions: Like 1


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## chanda (May 23, 2017)

pannaking22 said:


> Glad to hear someone finally offering young nymphs! Seems like the only time you'd be able to get them was late in the summer when adults started popping up. Sounds like you've got the care down, but I would also provide a nice vertical surface for molting. These guys may not necessarily need it, but non-cricket Orthoptera tend to do better with a vertical molting surface (thanks gravity!). I'd feed them at least twice a week if possible. Don't know if there's a recommended food or not, I think if it's alive or was recently alive they'll probably eat it.


Thanks! I appreciate the suggestion. I was planning on putting cork slabs or tubes in for them, so hopefully that will meet their requirements. How much height do they need? For feeders I have fruit flies, dubia nymphs, and crickets - and will probably add a cup of mealworms for easier feedings when I go out of town in a couple of weeks and my husband has to take care of everything for me. The arachnids are generally pretty easy to care for - and can even be largely neglected for a couple of weeks at a time, as long as he fills water dishes a couple of times a week. It's the mantises, assassin bugs, and katydids that I'm worried about!


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## chanda (May 23, 2017)

Sarkhan42 said:


> There's not very much info out there from what I could gather, but access to food I believe is relatively important. They're going to need to eat relatively often, probably on par with mantids. I'm also curious as to where you found these, very cool!


Yeah, they're going to need to eat a lot. I'll have to leave them in my husband's care for about two and a half weeks, so I hope he's up for the challenge!

I'm getting them from a guy in Orange County - he's got them listed on Craigslist.

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## Tleilaxu (May 23, 2017)

chanda said:


> Yeah, they're going to need to eat a lot. I'll have to leave them in my husband's care for about two and a half weeks, so I hope he's up for the challenge!
> 
> 
> I'm getting them from a guy in Orange County - he's got them listed on Craigslist.


Do make sure to umm er force your husband to do research on these guys as well, I have had to many incidents of family or petsitters claiming they are ready and able to care for an animal only to return to said animal being either sick, under fed and dehydrated in the best of cases, the worst cases were an animal died because said person was too scared to deal with it or it's food.


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## chanda (May 23, 2017)

Tleilaxu said:


> Do make sure to umm er force your husband to do research on these guys as well, I have had to many incidents of family or petsitters claiming they are ready and able to care for an animal only to return to said animal being either sick, under fed and dehydrated in the best of cases, the worst cases were an animal died because said person was too scared to deal with it or it's food.


He's not afraid to deal with them. While the inverts (and the snake and the alligator lizard) are mine, he is comfortable dealing with them - at least mostly - and has no problem with the feeders (except for a little frustration with me when a few of the stupid dubias escaped! I thought the darned things weren't supposed to be able to climb glass or smooth plastic?!?)  He's taken care of my pets for me every time I go out of town - which is usually 2-3 times a year - but the last time around he was not quite as conscientious as usual about keeping everything fed/watered. No casualties, fortunately - but it does have me a little nervous about my upcoming trip as I'll be gone for nearly 3 weeks!


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## pannaking22 (May 23, 2017)

chanda said:


> Thanks! I appreciate the suggestion. I was planning on putting cork slabs or tubes in for them, so hopefully that will meet their requirements. How much height do they need? For feeders I have fruit flies, dubia nymphs, and crickets - and will probably add a cup of mealworms for easier feedings when I go out of town in a couple of weeks and my husband has to take care of everything for me. The arachnids are generally pretty easy to care for - and can even be largely neglected for a couple of weeks at a time, as long as he fills water dishes a couple of times a week. It's the mantises, assassin bugs, and katydids that I'm worried about!


I think that'll be fine. I usually try to have the vertical height around twice the length of the molter, but if you're shorter I think they'll work through it without too much hassle. Those should all make excellent feeders for them. As they get larger they'll be a lot more robust too, so there's a smaller chance of any of them dying. I'd probably recommend power feeding them early on so you can get a couple molts out of them first before you leave. Humidity might be a bit of a factor, but I don't know what they like.


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## KevinsWither (May 23, 2017)

Tell me more about them. I've always wanted to keep some of these myself too. Infact, actually want to breed them too. I want to see if anyone had Copiphora rhinoceros, Lirometopum coronatum, or any other copiphora or neobarrettia.


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## chanda (May 23, 2017)

pannaking22 said:


> I think that'll be fine. I usually try to have the vertical height around twice the length of the molter, but if you're shorter I think they'll work through it without too much hassle. Those should all make excellent feeders for them. As they get larger they'll be a lot more robust too, so there's a smaller chance of any of them dying. I'd probably recommend power feeding them early on so you can get a couple molts out of them first before you leave. Humidity might be a bit of a factor, but I don't know what they like.


Given that one of their common names is "Greater Arid Land Katydid" and they are a desert/scrub species, I don't anticipate humidity being much of an issue. The room where I keep all my inverts has a small humidifier running 24/7 which keeps ambient humidity around 50-60 percent, then I mist or add water to cages for those that need more than that. My various desert species seem to do just fine like that, with minimal fuss and only the occasional misting. I do plan on power-feeding them to start - the seller was also recommending that - because I want them to be at least a little bit impressive by the end of June when I'll be showing them to my students.

Reactions: Like 1


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## VolkswagenBug (May 23, 2017)

chanda said:


> I'm getting them from a guy in Orange County via a Craigslist ad: https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/for/6124352915.html
> 
> I don't know if he would be willing/able to ship - I'll be driving out to pick them up in person.


Great price. I don't live in CA, so I can't get them if he doesn't want to ship.


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## Hisserdude (May 24, 2017)

@kitkat39 is the #1 expert on breeding these, maybe he'll chime in.

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## pannaking22 (May 24, 2017)

I think 50-60% humidity should be totally fine for them.


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## VolkswagenBug (May 24, 2017)

pannaking22 said:


> I think 50-60% humidity should be totally fine for them.


Yeah, these do live in arid places (albeit the more humid parts).


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## Smokehound714 (May 24, 2017)

do make sure to give them water to drink.


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## The invertabrate (Jan 7, 2018)

chanda said:


> I have the opportunity to purchase some Neobarrettia spinosa hatchlings and would appreciate any tips on caring for them. I know the basics - they need to be kept separately so they don't eat each other, with a fair amount of space, plenty of food, good ventilation, and in a warm place - but I'd love to hear from someone who has actual experience with them. Anything special I should do? Or avoid?
> Thanks!


Where did you get them from?


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## chanda (Jan 7, 2018)

The invertabrate said:


> Where did you get them from?


It was a guy in Orange County who had them listed on Craigslist. I ended up not getting them, though - I wasn't able to coordinate my schedule with his at a time when he had some available. If he's still raising them and lists some for sale again this spring, I may try again.

Reactions: Like 1


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## The invertabrate (Jan 7, 2018)

chanda said:


> It was a guy in Orange County who had them listed on Craigslist. I ended up not getting them, though - I wasn't able to coordinate my schedule with his at a time when he had some available. If he's still raising them and lists some for sale again this spring, I may try again.


OK thanks please let me know when you can get them again and send me a link. They are one of my dream insects


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## VolkswagenBug (Jan 8, 2018)

The invertabrate said:


> OK thanks please let me know when you can get them again and send me a link. They are one of my dream insects


They could probably just post here, just stay subscribed to this thread.


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## KevinsWither (Jan 9, 2018)

I wanna find some! Or buy some!

Reactions: Agree 1


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