Mantises EVERYWHERE!!

Versi*JP*Color

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
203
Hi I've caught 18 praying mantises the local chinese mantis.

There so cool(did the same thing last year).
I caught over half of them with my friends at a single 10 ft by 10 ft area.
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
So what are you doing with them? Letting them go, I hope. ;)
 

ZergFront

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
1,956
I had one as a pet for a while just to observe it.

The great thing about these biological pest controllers, they don't go far from the release site like ladybugs. I let mine go and it grew rapidly. Least I think it might be the same one but I'd see one often. One of the most observant arthropods I've encountered along with jumping spiders.
 

malevolentrobot

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Messages
310
a regular ol' california mantis was actually my first "pet" as a kid, it was an awesome little thing. i remember it doing acrobatics on my fingers when i took it out, never flew away and i never got pinched or anything. pity they have such short lives or i'd look into owning one properly these days.

you should let most of them go, keep one max, since they shouldn't be housed together anyway.
 

Versi*JP*Color

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
203
So what are you doing with them? Letting them go, I hope. ;)
Just letting 'em go after a while then gettin' a new batch.

a regular ol' california mantis was actually my first "pet" as a kid, it was an awesome little thing. i remember it doing acrobatics on my fingers when i took it out, never flew away and i never got pinched or anything. pity they have such short lives or i'd look into owning one properly these days.

you should let most of them go, keep one max, since they shouldn't be housed together anyway.
Well I do house them together and have had 0 cannabilisms.
I really like how they eat and blend in.
You can't forget the looks of one either, spiny arms, mini triangle head........etc
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
Yeah, mantids are pretty awesome little critters. You should be aware, however that if you catch a wild insect/arachnid, feed it captive feeders (such as storebought crickets or roaches) then release it back to the wild, you are running the risk of introducing exotic foreign pathogens or parasites into your local ecosystem. As a matter of general practice you should avoid doing this. The possibility exists to devastate local populations of inverts.

A more appropriate approach would be to catch a single specimen to keep as a long term pet (until it dies) and leave the rest outside.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
424
I catch chinese mantids here in Va all the time, they are one of my favorite invert pets, and I always get egg cases from them! Its neat to watch them hatch out.
 
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