Mantis pictures

[Steven Gielis]

Rhombodera basalis

 

[DJ_AlMighty_247]

Idolomantis diabolica,

Gongylus gongylodes,

Sphodromantis centralis,

 

[padkison]

Ghost mantis molt sequence

 

[Mr. Mordax]

That's awesome! I always wondered how they got that big head projection out of the exuvium.

 

[padkison]

Oops

I wasn't keeping a real close eye on these guys. Good thing he mated her last week. This week he tried to creep up the side rather than the rear :? . Bad idea.

 

[RodG]

Keep Those Pics Coming!!!

Excellent photos of some fantastic critters:drool: I've been keeping mantids for a few years now and I never get bored

 

[spyderguy1983]

Wow, great pics. Thanks for sharing. It makes me want to start keeping mantids now!

 

[padkison]

Orchid Ooth

 

[RodG]

Congratulations!!!

 

[padkison]

European mantis

 

[Mr. Mordax]

I love these guys! They're the only species I find in Oregon, so they're the mantids I grew up with. Brilliant green coloration. Looks like you have a nice female there.

The eyespots are cool, too. (It actually wasn't until I startled a pet mantid that I realized that's what they are.)

 

[padkison]

Penultimate female Ghost Mantis

 

[padkison]

Adult male Ghost

Adult Male European

 

[tacoma0680]

How big of a container do you keep these in?

 

[padkison]

Depends on the mantid. The European, Ghosts, Budwings, Wide Arms, etc are kept in a 32 oz delicup. Larger mantids like female Orchids and Asian Giants are kept in taller containers to ensure enough height for a proper molt (not always a guarantee - see below). Rule of thumb is to have the mantid in a container with a height of at least 3x the mantids length for it to have room to molt.

How big of a container do you keep these in?

 

[padkison]

Adult female Ghost

Orchid female fell during final molt and died

Orchids mating

 

[Mr. Mordax]

That orchid is sad! I had a giant Indian that fell during her final molt, but she pulled through with just a crumpled wing and a gimpy leg. She survived another four months.

 

[padkison]

Ghost female

Deroplatys lobata (Dead Leaf) nymph

 

[padkison]

Carolina mantid mating

Hard Core shot

 

[wonderwes]

did u know

did u know mantids, susposedly are the smartest of all bugs . they also have a kill rate of like 90% their the most succesfull hunters on the planet they also have a defense against bats. its like a ultra sonic sound emiter on its abdomen it throws bats off their trail. the ones we get around here are very docile ive never been hurt by one. they say their are related to cock roaches