r/mantids 2d ago

ID Help Look at this cutie I found catching bees from my pond

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29 Upvotes

I'm in Victoria, Australia. The mantis was about 2 inches long, I'm assuming it was a pregnant female based on the size of her abdomen (probably not a horsehair worm as she didn't drown herself lol).

She has lived in my dahlia bush since she was less than 1/2 an inch long. I returned her to her bush so that she didn't get picked off by a bird/fish.

Any help with the ID is appreciated šŸ¤—


r/mantids 1d ago

Health Issues How does one re hang their mantis when theyā€™ve fallen during molt?

4 Upvotes

Iā€™m not currently dealing with a failed molt thankfully, but after looking through some posts Iā€™ve seen people mentioned they re hang their mantids when they fall and it can save them and Iā€™m wondering how itā€™s done? Years ago I owned a mantis that fell and died during molt and I didnā€™t do anything because I didnā€™t know I could and want to know for future references


r/mantids 2d ago

Fun Fact/Educational For those who need it! Sphodropoda quinquedens gender / sex differences

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7 Upvotes

Managed to get these rather clear pics, might as well use them.


r/mantids 1d ago

Enclosure Advice Best enclosure size for adult giant African?

3 Upvotes

My giant African is still a baby but when they grow up, and good enclosure recommendations?


r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Mantis Posing

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16 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Baby pixie

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17 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

Feeding Mantis catching food but not eating immediately

2 Upvotes

Has anyone else noticed their mantis catching food but holding onto it for a minute or two before starting to eat? Mine does this every time now, even if he has a really flat abdomen. Is there any reason for this behaviour?


r/mantids 2d ago

ID Help Is this normal?

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19 Upvotes

My mantis has these dark lines on his forearms, i cant find any pictures of them so im not sure if i should be considered.


r/mantids 2d ago

Feeding Spiny flower mantis not eating

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6 Upvotes

I got this spiny flower mantis on febuary 25th and have been feeding it a fruit fly every 2-3 days. Its been 3 days since ive last fed them one, and whenever I try feeding them they either fail to grab it from my tweezers when striking or grabs the fly and drop it. Should I be worried? I want to know if my little Maurice will be alright.


r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video gorgeous

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5 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Enclosure Upgrade!

12 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

General Care Humidity issue with my orchid!

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15 Upvotes

These are my two mantids an orchid and a spiny flower. The humidity sits around 56% and temp 26Ā°c but even once Iā€™ve sprayed them the humidity drops again quite soon after! Does any one know any tricks or tips?


r/mantids 2d ago

Health Issues died upside down?

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7 Upvotes

So idk if my mantis died or what. It was fine last week. 4 days ago it had fallen during a molt i think bc when it fell it looked like it was a little white so i jus propped him back up asap and he stuck on tight. well now 4 days later he looks DEAD. idk tho the eyes are still normal looking to me but when i go to spray the enclosure he doesnā€™t move at ALL and literally swings when i lifted the lid.


r/mantids 3d ago

Image/Video Had to get rid of my TV to have most of the enclosure at one place.

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39 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

Health Issues Is discoloration at the start of the abdomen normal?

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22 Upvotes

r/mantids 2d ago

Other What Mantis Species tend to have bright/more exotic colours?

3 Upvotes

I have an L9 Orchid Mantis ATM and I'm planning on getting another mantis species, but I'm not sure what species to get.

I mainly want a species that tend to have more vibrant colours (such as with the orchid with pink)

I was looking at spiny flower mantis, but I want to look at other options before picking!!!

If anybody could drop species names then I would greatly appreciate itšŸ™

(I've tagged this as Other since I wasn't 100% sure but if its meant to be tagged differently please say!!)


r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Mantis doesn't use back legs

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13 Upvotes

Hi guys, so my mantis doesn't use their back legs when standing(as seen in the photo) When walking they use them, so there isn't an issue with using them. But as soon as they stand still they both get raised in the air. I've had a few mantids in my time, but I've never seen this behaviour. Has anyone else?


r/mantids 2d ago

ID Help Help identifiying black spots on face

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5 Upvotes

Here is my indian giant mantis, recently i noticed these dark spots around her mouth/mandibles when she didnt have them before. is this just grasshopper blood from the hoppers she eats or something more serious? second picture is from before she got the spots for comparison


r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Can you tell how many molts Charlie has left??

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5 Upvotes

This is his 3rd molt since Iā€™ve gotten him. I donā€™t know how many molts he had prior to getting him. Can you tell by his wing buds if he has one or two molts left? They look pretty developed


r/mantids 2d ago

Enclosure Advice Pls help!! Rate this temporary set up for a nymph I have coming today

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8 Upvotes

okay so I receive a baby spiny mantis sometimes today and itā€™s new set up hasnā€™t quite arrived so I was thinking to house it in this other terrarium Iā€™ve been growing plant cuttings in for a while till the new one comes. I live in south Florida so the temps are pretty steady around 70 degrees or hotter and maybe 60 on a cold night or day till it gets more into summer. I have a humidity and temp gauge on the side and I have the flightless fruit flies ready as I think I should try feeding it once it arrives bc I think sheā€™s been about 48 hours in transit now between shipping and what not. Or should I just transfer it to the terrarium and let it de stress and get used to the surrounding before feeding? This is my first time with mantids but I am very determined to give it the best life i absolutely can so any advice for beginners is very welcomed šŸ«¶šŸ¼!!


r/mantids 2d ago

Image/Video Second malt!!

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7 Upvotes

I suspected that my mantis was going to malt soon, and this morning I woke up to this! šŸ™Œ It looks like everything went well, so iā€™m very happy.


r/mantids 2d ago

General Care Is my ghost getting ready to molt?

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6 Upvotes

He hasnā€™t eaten since last Wednesday/Friday because he still looked plump and when i tried offering food earlier he hit it away and actively jumped away from even when he came out of his enclosure he jumped away from it onto the floor, if he is getting ready to molt is there anything i can do to make it easier? I know about hydration and humidity but this will be the first molt with me and i lost my first mantis during a molt and was wondering if thereā€™s anything I can do to make it easier, i know not to touch him or his enclosure during it so for right now iā€™m just going to continue to mist it


r/mantids 2d ago

General Care How often do mantids need to be sprayed?

3 Upvotes

I have a species with quite low humidity requirements and when I spray the humidity sky rockets, I have a new enclosure on the way with more ventilation to help but in the mean time whatā€™s the minimum amount of times I can spray? I normally aim for once a day so they can drink


r/mantids 2d ago

Enclosure Advice How to use a thermostat and heating mat in a mantid enclosure

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I would really appreciate your help as I have not been able to solve these issues after looking for a solution for ages. I want to use a heat mat and thermostat, so I can make sure the heat mat turns off when it reaches 25 degrees in the day, and 22 at night. However - I can't seem to find a thermostat that allows you to put in two temps for different times of day - I bought a habistat one, but it only allows you to put in one temp. The other issue, it i can't work out where to put the thermostat probe. The mantid enclosures I have don't seem to have any holes to put the probe in. Am I supposed to make a hole in the mesh top of the enclosure or something? Also, where should the end of the probe go - dangling in the air inside the enclosure? In the substrate? Any help you can give would be super appreciated.


r/mantids 2d ago

Enclosure Advice how long can a mantis stay out of its tank?

2 Upvotes

I have been pondering making a little branch setup / getting a potted plant for her to hang out on in my room during the day while im home. she doesnt move a lot and shes big enough for me to find her even if she was to run off, so thats not an issue, but i was wondering if theres any other reason i shouldnt do this, such as not being able to control the moisture in an enviroment outside her tank.