Help me decide

[Ratmosphere]

So my collection of invertebrates is growing again. Before I slow down I want to get one more. My choices are between a Phyllocrania paradoxa, Cosmoderus sp. armored cricket, and Macropanesthia rhinoceros. I'm not a huge fan of feeding live prey to my pets but I am not opposed; I owned many true spiders and some tarantulas in the past. I know you should feed mantises flies instead of crickets. How would I go about gathering and storing flies? Help me decide!

 

[basin79]

So my collection of invertebrates is growing again. Before I slow down I want to get one more. My choices are between a Phyllocrania paradoxa, Cosmoderus sp. armored cricket, and Macropanesthia rhinoceros. I'm not a huge fan of feeding live prey to my pets but I am not opposed; I owned many true spiders and some tarantulas in the past. I know you should feed mantises flies instead of crickets. How would I go about gathering and storing flies? Help me decide!

You can buy non dyed maggots that you could allow to hatch out for adult mantids. Fruit flies for nymphs etc. There's also wax worms that can be left to pupate into moths.

Crickets of appropriate size can be fed although I'd recommend buying them in advance to flush their guts with fresh fruit and veg etc.

 

[basin79]

You can buy non dyed maggots that you could allow to hatch out for adult mantids. Fruit flies for nymphs etc. There's also wax worms that can be left to pupate into moths.

Crickets of appropriate size can be fed although I'd recommend buying them in advance to flush their guts with fresh fruit and veg etc.

I feed my Hierodula Majuscula adult Dubia roaches, crickets and wax worms. With a few drops of honey for a treat.

My Deroplatys Lobata gets fed wax worms and crickets. It was fed fruit flies but since shedding is to big to bother with them.

 

[Hisserdude]

My vote of course is for the M.rhinoceros, but the Cosmoderus sp are a close second.

Many mantid vendors sell maggots or pupa of flies to feed to your mantid's, which they rear themselves. You could also try rearing the flies yourself if you wanted, but that's only if you are really dedicated to your mantids.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Where can I store my flies?

 

[basin79]

Where can I store my flies?

I just kept the fruit flies in the large tub they came in. I just tapped the side of the tub to knock them all down and then opened the lid to let just a few out.

That wouldn't work with blue bottles that could fly though. For adults I'd use wax worm/moths and crickets.

 

[Ratmosphere]

So an L2 nymph will need fruit flies or can they take down house flies?

 

[basin79]

So an L2 nymph will need fruit flies or can they take down house flies?

Fruit flies.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Sweet, I will be ordering soon! Do L2 nymphs have a high die off rate?

 

[Jacob Ma]

This species has a particularly low die-off rate because of its overall hardiness, so I would advise to keep the nymphs well fed, watered, and avoid squishing them. In fact, they can even be kept together for their entire lives, as long as enough space and food is given. However, I like to just keep them together until around L2 or L3 just in case. Try not to feed the nymphs too large prey items (stick with Drosophila sp.), or they will develop a fear of eating many foods.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Got mine in the mail today. Fed it four fruit flies. Do they need more than this amount daily?

 

[basin79]

Got mine in the mail today. Fed it four fruit flies. Do they need more than this amount daily?

Just look at it's abdomen. It'll be plump and fat now after the flies. Once it flattens a bit feed it again. Mantids grow incredibly quickly if kept at the right temperature. So they can eat a lot.

Get some pictures if you can.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Keep the P. paradoxa at low temps for a tropical mantis. By doing this, you slow down everything, and they can regularly take 6 - 8 months just to mature, and can live over a year.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Thanks guys. I will post pictures when it gets bigger. At L3 should I offer them house flies? Also, would it be a bad idea to feed it wild caught moths?

 

[Toxoderidae]

Thanks guys. I will post pictures when it gets bigger. At L3 should I offer them house flies? Also, would it be a bad idea to feed it wild caught moths?

I'd treat it exactly like Ts, never WC. Bluebottle flies or crickets work perfectly for them.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Awesome! Can't wait to watch it grow.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Is this enclosure too big for my mantis? Will the crowded plants prevent my mantis from finding food?



Here is a picture of my lil guy. Sorry for the low quality! It's the best I could do with my iPhone macro lens.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Nah that's great size and foliage, just don't mist in there. Ghosts are more arid and like it drier, over misting can kill them.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Should I take some sphagnum moss out? Saw at least 15 flies emerge from it when I took the lid off of the mantis enclosure. I thought the mantis was eating all of them but I was wrong!

 

[basin79]

Should I take some sphagnum moss out? Saw at least 15 flies emerge from it when I took the lid off of the mantis enclosure. I thought the mantis was eating all of them but I was wrong!

It's up to you. You need to make sure your mantis is eating that's all. If the abdomen is plump it's eating. I just use kitchen roll in the bottom of my mantid enclosures.