I'm curious if age is a factor when it comes to how jumpy or scared mantis tend to be.

I own 4 mantis, one is L2, one is L3, one is L4, and then a mature female giant asian.

The youngest is insanely jumpy, can't even get near it without it running, the second lets me hold it but is easily startled, and third is insanely jumpy and runs away before I even attempt to hold it, and my adult female is so so docile and friendly and lets me do whatever.

Does the way they act when they are younger determine how jumpy they will be forever? Is there a way to make them calmer for handling? I feel like when my giant asian female dies I won't be able to hold any of them peacefully like her and it makes me sad. I love her so much. She has only been scared like once in her life when she was around L4 but ever since then she's been so calm and sweet.

Luden (thats a ghost in the picture) hasnt eaten in 3 days. He seems interested in food, he just hasnt been able to catch anything, sadly. I have even moved him to a smaller box for the „dinner time” but there hes not interested in a roach. Is he getting ready to molt? His last molt was 16 days ago. If not, what am i supposed to do? I have only turkish roaches to feed him. Im worried he will starve :(

Hi there,

My patellifera just molted this night.

Only problem is her eye and antennas.

Please see picture below.

Will she recover from this ?

All the best to everyone one and every mantis here !! :)

I fed my adult boy mantis Travis a fly and a moth last night, and he ate them like normal. I did notice halfway through the moth he was just holding the moth in one foreleg and opening his mouth over and over, like he was chewing, but it went on for a while. I put him back in his container and he hung upside on the lid as he finished up. I just checked on him right now, about 22 hours after I left him, and he is frozen, still hanging on the ceiling, holding his half moth in one of his forelegs. :( my poor little boy. Did I poison him with a bad moth/fly? He molted into adulthood about 3 weeks ago. How long do adult male spiny flower mantids live after their final molt?

2 pictures attached (one dead hanging from ceiling and one alive on my hand)

Hi, I need some help generating ideas/suggestions from others in Canada on what to feed my mantis babies when they’re too big for fruit flies. The usual suggestions like dubia roaches are illegal here. I know crickets are not really safe especially from a pet store.

I can get meal worms, but I know they’re high fat/low protein so not optimal for feeding mantids. Any ideas for what to feed next that has good protein? I know wax worms turn into moths, so I can probably feed those later but they’d be too big right now.

A lot of people use pesticides here so I can’t do wild caught. Suggestions, ideas, sources( to buy feeder insects in Canada) much appreciated.

Hi yall my friend got a mantis and I’ve been thinking about getting one. but i don’t know what I should get for it, or what kind i should get. I’m thinking about a ghost mantis because there very pretty and I’d love to have one, but I know there very small. I think the best bet is a normal Asian mantis but I really don’t know. If i could get any price range I’d really appreciate the help.

I think it would be great to have mantids for natural pest control.

Would I have to hatch them yearly for it to be effective always, or will they breed and continue to show up year after year?

I got him today and he seems to just be super shy and inactive, just not moving around at all. i was wondering if this was normal for mantids?

This little one is the only one of a group on my porch that is brown. He (I think) loves to hang in the dahlias. Am I right thinking I'm seeing the beginning of wings?? ☺️

Hi all,

I recently purchased 2 Carolina mantis juveniles (Stagmomantis carolina, native to where I live in VA) and released them in my garden after a few days of feeding/observation. I would estimate both were probably L3 when I recieved them, each molted once, and are now out in my sunflower garden, still as juveniles.

One has hidden itself in a neighboring boxwood bush (fair lol) so I'm not concerned. But the other, the more robust and energetic of the two, has taken up its perch on the bud of one of my ~6' sunflowers and is currently demolishing leafhoppers and unlucky flying insect visitors (yesss!).

I'm obviously thrilled since this is the reason I got them, but I want to know: how can I best care for this little one as it grows into adulthood? Birds are scared of this sunflower patch and don't come near, but we've been having HOT and dry weather lately. I try misting the leaves around the little one in case it gets thirsty, but it seems uninterested so I assume it's hydrated via prey intake.

My question is: is there anything else I can be doing to keep it healthy? It always looks at me curiously (but not fearfully) when I come out, and I've become so super endeared to it lol :,) I just want to see it grow up happy and healthy!!

Thanks in advance for any advice 🥹🫶

Have any of you kept wheel bugs or assassin bugs in terrariums, similar to keeping and feeding mantids? I've had good success with mantids, but this is my first try with a wheel bug. Advice?

I’ve recieved a random mantis in addition to my order, but in the package there wasnt any info about the species of this mantis, nor how to take care of it. Im pretty sure its a L1, but i dont know about ideal temperatures and humidity in the enclosure. Its my second mantis so i would be grateful for any general tips. Thanks!