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Background
Housing
Feeding
Breeding
Ootheca
- Native to Asia, but introduced into America where it is found in abundance.
- They can vary in colour from a grey to brown to green colour.
- The males and females look almost identical although females can have shorter wings and antennae.
- These are can grow up to 6 cm in length
Housing
- They can live happily at room temperature so no extra heating is required.
- They will need a tank or container at least 3 times their size to allow room for moulting.
- Container size should be increased as they grow if needed.
- Ensure there is a good air flow through the container.
- Spray the container regularly for drinking and humidity, too dry conditions can cause moulting problems.
- Mantis of 3rd instar and above should be kept separate as they are cannibalistic.
- Popular tanks have air holes in the lid which small mantis may escape from, cover the top in fine mesh (e.g. cut some material from a pair of tights) and then place down the lid to keep it in place. This can be removed once they are too large for the holes
Feeding
- Your local reptile shop will sell good food for mantis.
- 1st instar hatchlings should be fed fruit flies or micro crickets (or similar).
- As they grow increase food size to house/bottle flies or larger crickets.
- Make sure the food is not larger than the mantis.
- Mantis will stop eating a few days before moulting, remove uneaten food after a day otherwise they can disturb the mantis’ moult and can cause harm to the mantis.
Breeding
- Mantis can usually start breeding 2-3 weeks after their final moult, this can be identified usually by the development of full wings.
- Males will have around 7 or 8 segments on their abdomen whilst females have around 5 or 6.
- Only put together to breed and make sure they are well fed, otherwise they may eat each other.
- Separate again after mating.
Ootheca
- Ootheca’s will be laid attached to a stick or twigs in the enclosure.
- To incubate these, attach the ootheca to the top of a separate container using blue tac or string threaded through the top.
- Keep a humid atmosphere by spraying and after around 8-12 weeks the mantis will start to hatch.
- Up to 200 mantis can hatch from each ootheca and will start feeding in a couple of days time