# Lifespan of a Praying Mantis



## JacenBeers

I have had my praying Mantis for three months now. SHe was a nymph when I got her but she recently had her last molt into adulthood and has beautiful wings. She just layed her eggsac. Does anybody know how much longer she has to live once she has layed her eggs?  SHe still has quite an appetite.


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## johns

Jacen-


Once they deposit an ootheca, their time's very limited (i.e. under four months).

The ooth is infertile as well, I think, unless you forgot to mention the presence of an introduced male.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Wade

She will probably lay more eggs...she may drop between 6 and eight ootheca before it's all over.  It's no too late to find a male!

Wade


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## Tarangela

I hate to bring this thread back to life, but I have some real questions here!!

I captured a female praying mantis the other week, and have been keeping her.  She has ate A LOT and before she laid, what I guess is eggs, she was VERY agressive.  Spreading wings, and attacking every move I made!!  It was unreal!  The next morning, there was this brown, hard, gooey cocoon looking thing stuck on the side of the cage (wire).  It is about the size of a quarter I guess.

Is that her eggs?  Since I got her from the wild, is it fertile?  If it is, when will they hatch, what do they look like, etc.??  I have no idea how to take care of baby mantis?!  And she has eaten like 5 crickets a night?!


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## Brian S

Sounds like eggs to me. They will hatch in a few weeks if kept warm. If you aren't ready for them to hatch, you can put it in the refrigerator until you are.


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## Tarangela

Brian S said:
			
		

> Sounds like eggs to me. They will hatch in a few weeks if kept warm. If you aren't ready for them to hatch, you can put it in the refrigerator until you are.


Great   What do I do w/ a bunch of baby mantis???


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## Brian S

Tarangela said:
			
		

> Great :O  What do I do w/ a bunch of baby mantis???


Separate them and feed small pinhead crix and/or fruit flies. Giv them plenty of ventilation. Mist them some too. You don't need any substrate but you will want to have a stick, artificial plant leaf etc for them to climb on. I have kept mantids nearly every summer since 1979. The babys are kinda delicate so expect a few of them to die off.
I got a real good book while back from Swift Inverts. It's called Mantids: Keeping Aliens. It is only $10 and has much useful info.

Look for the threads Carolina Mantid and Chinese Mantid Appreciation Thread. I posted some mantid pics there.

Good luck


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## Missy Cricket

*Another question about Mandid lifespans....*

Hey everyone. I just recently ordered a pretty good book on mantids, but withe the recent passing of my mantis friend, I have found myself in need of more immediate answers. 
My Questions:

How long will a mantid live if it does not lay an egg sac (let's just say it was born in captivity and never given the chance to mate)?

Is it possible/likely that the mantid would die immediately after laying the ootheca?

Is there a way to determine the virility of the egg sacs?

Thanks a bunch,
Missy


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## Wade

Mantids will lay ootheca wether they've mated or not. They won't be fertile if they haven't mated (unless it's B. borealis). I don't think it effects their lifespan either way.

Most species will lay more than one before death, but there may be exceptions. If it was an adult when collected, it may have already laid several before you found it.

I don't know of any way to check the fertility, but if the female was adult when captured there's a good chance any oothec would be fertile.

Wade


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## Missy Cricket

Thank you so much! I also received some good advice from the folks at InsectAdventures.com, so I think I'm as prepared as possible for whatever may happen with these ootheca. 

Thank you again!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## ghost_tomb

i've heard that all mantis egg's are fertile and the babies are clones of the female???

Reactions: Like 1


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## jezzy607

ghost_tomb said:
			
		

> i've heard that all mantis egg's are fertile and the babies are clones of the female???


You were given incorrect info.  I have been keeping mantids for a long time, and have had MANY unfertilized oothecae from over a half a dozen species including Sphodromantis lineola, Miomantis paykullii, Parasphendale agrionina, Phyllocrania paradoxa, Tenedora sinensis, Stagmomantis carolina, and Deroplatys desiccata, and not a single unfertilized ootheca has hatched!  On the other hand, all of my fertilized oothecae have hatched.  Supposedly it happens, but very very very rarely!  There are a couple of species that strictly reproduce by parthenogenesis (Brunneria borealis) and have no males.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fuzzy_spider

*I was given a Female Mantis.*

I am so sorry to ressurect this thread, but I was just curious. I understand that egg sacs of any kind affect the lifespan of the female mantid. However, let's just say - IN GENERAL - What is the lifespan of a male and female mantid?!!!! I just want a rounded number if possible. Thanks all.

Reactions: Like 1


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## jezzy607

It has everything to do with what species you have!  I am assuming you have a locally caught species (e.g. _Mantis religiosa, Tenodera a. sinensis, _ or _Stagmomantis carolina_ ), if it is any of these, the females will live an average of 3 more months(in captivity) plus or minus a month.  The males will live an average of one more month(in captivity) plus or minus 3 weeks.

Reactions: Like 1


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## missd

Seems like this thread is very old so I hope someone still responds... I have a preying mantis whom I found with a broken leg, I've had her for over a month now, she has laid an ootheca, after which she continued to eat crickets then, she stopped eating altogether - for about a week, I thought she would die, she seemed very weak.... until, today.... she ate a moth I offered her... 

Any idea what's going on with her... 
much appreciated ! 
Oh - I believe she's the Chinese variety, small brownish green...

Reactions: Like 1


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## basin79

missd said:


> Seems like this thread is very old so I hope someone still responds... I have a preying mantis whom I found with a broken leg, I've had her for over a month now, she has laid an ootheca, after which she continued to eat crickets then, she stopped eating altogether - for about a week, I thought she would die, she seemed very weak.... until, today.... she ate a moth I offered her...
> 
> Any idea what's going on with her...
> much appreciated !
> Oh - I believe she's the Chinese variety, small brownish green...


Mantids slow right down towards the end. Eventually she'll just stop eating. They become clumsy and uncoordinated and lose their ability to grip. They lie down on the floor and die. 

It's bloody horrible.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## UltimateDracoMeteor

It sucks that praying mantises' lives are so short. They would make such great companions if they lived 10 years!

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Spidermolt

basin79 said:


> Mantids slow right down towards the end. Eventually she'll just stop eating. They become clumsy and uncoordinated and lose their ability to grip. They lie down on the floor and die.
> 
> It's bloody horrible.


It's "bloody horrible" but completely true like basin79 said. at this time of year they are all pretty much doomed no matter what.

 Before arachnids I specialized in mantids and mid spring to late October is pretty much the standard life for mantids (meaning the dawn of warmth to the first sign of frost). There's a decent chance that the ootheca is fertile but unfortunately your mantis has reached the end of its life. The best thing you can do now is try to keep the mother as comfortably as possible til she meets her end and then put the ootheca outside in a safe place so it can "weather" until next spring where you can then watch them hatch and then collect a specimen or two to rear.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## hackaride

Hello guys !!! 
I have a wild praying mantis that hangs around my front and back porch ... it looks like a juvenile to me, looks pretty healthy to me ... if I wanted to make it offerings what would I give it .

Why do praying mantis die after laying their eggs ... what does not allow them to live for more han one year ? 

I apologize for my childish questions  but I truly want to know and understand .  Thank you


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## blacksheep998

hackaride said:


> Why do praying mantis die after laying their eggs ... what does not allow them to live for more han one year ?


That's simply how their life cycle works. It's extremely common, and not just among insects. Many animals and plants die after reproducing. Even some mammals.

Biologists have spent years trying to figure out the exact reason so many creatures do this, and have come up with any number of theories. Sometimes the breeding process is simply too destructive to their bodies to live very long afterwards. In other cases it seems that limited resources means that for the offspring to thrive, their parents have to 'get out of the way' so to speak. 

With many small animals though, their odds of long term survival simply aren't good enough to build a body that can last very long. All evolution cares about is how many offspring you can produce, and if your time is limited due to predation or approaching winter then evolution will select for the individuals that produce the most eggs in the shortest amount of time, and will do so at the cost of everything else.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## bleedsblue

Hello please help I have a Carolina Mantis (female) ,I found her in late August so decided to keep her once I seen she would eat the  moths I caught her. Then I found a male and breed her. I had read that they lay in Oct-Sept but then die in the winter months from the cold? She has layer around 10 egg sacks! I noticed today that she wasn't herself barely hanging on to the branch. Is she dying?


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## Andrea82

bleedsblue said:


> Hello please help I have a Carolina Mantis (female) ,I found her in late August so decided to keep her once I seen she would eat the  moths I caught her. Then I found a male and breed her. I had read that they lay in Oct-Sept but then die in the winter months from the cold? She has layer around 10 egg sacks! I noticed today that she wasn't herself barely hanging on to the branch. Is she dying?
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She won't live much longer i'm afraid. But you can let the ootheca hatch, or half of them, and place the other half outside. This species have a large nymph to ooth rate, so better start collecting delicups

Reactions: Agree 2


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## basin79

bleedsblue said:


> Hello please help I have a Carolina Mantis (female) ,I found her in late August so decided to keep her once I seen she would eat the  moths I caught her. Then I found a male and breed her. I had read that they lay in Oct-Sept but then die in the winter months from the cold? She has layer around 10 egg sacks! I noticed today that she wasn't herself barely hanging on to the branch. Is she dying?
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Yes. She won't last much longer now. But she's done what she was designed for. Lived long enough to breed and continue her fantastic species.


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## Esherman81

My female only lived for 9 months, I never found her a mate sadly ..I never have had one live more then a year..


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## bleedsblue

basin79 said:


> Yes. She won't last much longer now. But she's done what she was designed for. Lived long enough to breed and continue her fantastic species.


Yes she died Christmas Day I will miss her my daughter and I made a game out of feeding her we would see who could catch the most moths for her.it was a great learning experience for her and i both it also gave us the opportunity to start a moth photo collection and would look up and read all about the different species. Can't wait tell spring to see where are adventure takes us this year. We also have 5 snakes 5 different kinds of frogs and a scorpion 
I'm a nature lovers she's my stepdaughter and this has really given us a chance to bond. Thanks everyone who help with their thought and comments and look forward to posting more news .
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
princess FIONA her last day

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## LindsayJay

Hey guys! I was wondering, why cant they live long after they lay a egg sac? My Margret passed away i think last night, i cried this morning. She only laid her egg sac 3 days ago, so i thought id atleast have another week with her Im a stay at home mom with a 1 yr old and a 3yr old. So i talk to margret alot. Lol but now what do i do with the egg sac?

Reactions: Sad 1


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## Andrea82

LindsayJay said:


> Hey guys! I was wondering, why cant they live long after they lay a egg sac? My Margret passed away i think last night, i cried this morning. She only laid her egg sac 3 days ago, so i thought id atleast have another week with her Im a stay at home mom with a 1 yr old and a 3yr old. So i talk to margret alot. Lol but now what do i do with the egg sac?


Was she mated?


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## LindsayJay

Andrea82 said:


> Was she mated?


Yess, we paired a male with her maybe a month ago.


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## Andrea82

LindsayJay said:


> Yess, we paired two a male with her maybe a month ago.


Ah, okay. Then keep the ooth well above the bottom so there is plenty of room for the nymphs to hatch. Keep it the same as you kept the mother, humidity and temperature wise. And start a batch of flightless fruitflies


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## LindsayJay

Andrea82 said:


> Ah, okay. Then keep the ooth well above the bottom so there is plenty of room for the nymphs to hatch. Keep it the same as you kept the mother, humidity and temperature wise. And start a batch of flightless fruitflies



How in the world do you catch fruitflies!? And can i keep them all in the same tank, or when do i need to spilt up the babies? How long also till they hatch ive seen 3-6 weeks and also say up to 7 months.


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## Andrea82

LindsayJay said:


> How in the world do you catch fruitflies!? And can i keep them all in the same tank, or when do i need to spilt up the babies? How long also till they hatch ive seen 3-6 weeks and also say up to 7 months.


You can buy flightless fruitflies, you don't have to catch them. 
You can keep them in the same tank until they've molted twice, generally speaking. What species is it? 
They (again, generally speaking) usually hatch around 6 weeks, yes.


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

1-3 months. If she starts blackening or turning black (having black spots), then start building her a grave.


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

Spidermolt said:


> It's "bloody horrible" but completely true like basin79 said. at this time of year they are all pretty much doomed no matter what.
> 
> Before arachnids I specialized in mantids and mid spring to late October is pretty much the standard life for mantids (meaning the dawn of warmth to the first sign of frost). There's a decent chance that the ootheca is fertile but unfortunately your mantis has reached the end of its life. The best thing you can do now is try to keep the mother as comfortably as possible til she meets her end and then put the ootheca outside in a safe place so it can "weather" until next spring where you can then watch them hatch and then collect a specimen or two to rear.


That's not true! It's novermber here in greece, and Geomantis Species have exploded, they just spawned! Hundreds of little ground mantids here and there, found 4 today, 10 yesterday. They all eat them little mosquitoes and flies!


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## Myrmeleon

Sorry to redirect this thread but is there any way to tell if a mantis ootheca is fertile?


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

Well. Did she mate?


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## darkness975

They die even if they do not reproduce / lay an ootheca.  Their life cycle is simply not that long. 

Some species of moth only live for a week and never feed.  

I believe some types of mayfly may only live 48 hours or so.


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## Myrmeleon

I never saw if the mantis mated because it was caught from the wild but laid 2 ooths


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## nanodelle

LindsayJay said:


> How in the world do you catch fruitflies!? And can i keep them all in the same tank, or when do i need to spilt up the babies? How long also till they hatch ive seen 3-6 weeks and also say up to 7 months.


I think you can order fruit fly eggs and/or larvae online; maybe even pupal stage. I'd keep them in a tight-meshed but well-ventilated habitat. Then, try to place some larvae in mantis nymphs' habitat, so they'll morph into adult flies in baby mantids' habitat. That way you're not trying to chase flying fruit flies (or if you have to, gently nab them with tweezers).


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

Nanodelle I'm sorry but none sells fruit fly eggs, larvae or pupae. . Do what I did, leave an orange outside for 2 days, and then check on it. Be prepared with a glass container to catch the flies. Or you can just buy them at your local pet shop. They cost less than 2 USD.


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## Mmmkay

LindsayJay said:


> How in the world do you catch fruitflies!? And can i keep them all in the same tank, or when do i need to spilt up the babies? How long also till they hatch ive seen 3-6 weeks and also say up to 7 months.


Both Petco and PetSmart near me typically stock the wingless fruit flies. I recommend calling around and asking


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## Mmmkay

I know from reading around that a mantid only needs to mate once, and all egg sacs will be fertilized from that one time. My Chinese mantis lived wild until about 8 weeks ago, when she joined our family. 2 days ago she laid her first ootheca. Is there a possibility that her eggs will produce live offspring?

From the time we got her she seemed a bit strange, staying only on the top of her enclosure, paying little attention  to her food, Etc. For the past two days she has been more lively then she has been for the past two months combined! Is there any difference in a female that is going to lay a fertile batch versus a non fertile batch? Knowing that her time May soon be up, I'd love to know if she'll be leaving behind some new Little Critters


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## MantidLover33

Hey, are praying mantis eggs able to hatch with one week of warm weather? Thx


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

MantidLover33 said:


> Hey, are praying mantis eggs able to hatch with one week of warm weather? Thx


No.


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## MantidLover33

How come?


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## MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf

MantidLover33 said:


> How come?


Can you develop from embryo to baby in 1 week?. They need at least 3 weeks.. If they are hibernating species, they will need an extra 4+ weeks if cold weather and another 1-4 weeks of hot.


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## sheetssha

Praying mantid oothecas range between 4-8 weeks for hatching.


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