nightcrawler
Avid Member
i think im going to try these guys out.
if my cham doesnt like it then i can toss them in the yard.
for $6 you cant lose.
if my cham doesnt like it then i can toss them in the yard.
for $6 you cant lose.
Praying Mantis 101
- Thread starter dodolah
- Start date
Most of the unusual mantis ooths are very expensive, between $25 and $60 each. The most common and those found in the US are the Chinese, Carolina and religiosa. The Chinese fly, I think its the Chinese, might be the carolina though. Rhe religiosa are the common big butted green mantids. I know the chinese and religiosa are both available and dirt cheap. I bought the relegiosa just because I'm turning them out in the yard and out lots and I don't want them flying away. Both would be good for the chams though. Theres also one called a Texas something or other that's also found in Texas and Mexico . It's very cool looking, stands real tall and has like horns on it. I think it's very expensive though. Thats about everything I know on mantids, hope it helps. David
Yes, I bought mine at mantisplace. Are you sure your looking at the right section of her website? It's kind of confusing. It's listed under oothes and cup o mantis, something like that. Has a drop down box to pick what type you want. I know she still had some available a few days ago. email her, she's super friendly and emails you back within minutes usually, even on weekends. She's funny, she'll just start going on about her family life like I'd know her for years. Name is rebecca.
CNorton
Avid Member
Do-It-Yourself Praying Mantis Enclosure
Materials:
1.)Jar, tupperware, or any breathable enclosure that is fine enough to contain aphids or flightless fruit flies
2.)Stick or similar
3.)Tissue, moss, or water crystal to retain moisture in the enclosure
4.)Glue to attach the ooth to a surface or to attach stick to enclosure
5.)Feeder insect: fruit flies, house flies, aphids, ants, crickets...
6.)Fruit piece or Your favorite gutload
7.)Scissors to perforate the enclosure (if needed)
8.)Tissue or paper towel for plugging holes
9.)Glue stick to adhere paper towel to perforations (if needed)
The enclosure must be breathable but must also be fine enough to contain aphids or similar. I used common household tupperware and cut holes in it. Then I used a papel towel, stripped to 1-ply, to paste over the holes. Remember to paste on the inside.
The placement of the stick with the ooth is best if glued to top of lid. Use a low-heat glue gun or super glue if no insects are present...to avoid sticky situations. Make sure the "zipper" of the ooth is facing outward. If you don't know what I mean by "zipper" look at the ooth and you'll know what I mean.
The mantids will almost always prefer to hang out at the top hanging upside down. This is also why the mesh should allow feeder insect traffic close to the lid top so that the mantids have a shot to get a meal. The mesh can be obtained from a garlic pack or orange sack. You can also use aspen excelsior (recommended by mantisplace.com)
The feeders presented to the nyphs (babies) must be very small. I use flightless fruit flies (drosophila melanogaster) but many other have had great success with small ants, aphids, leafhoppers...the list goes on. Just make sure your enclosure won't spring a leak As the mantids get older and molt, you can increase the size of the feeders. Mantids are known for their aggressive behavior and are capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves. BE FOREWARNED! DO NOT LET YOUR BABY CHAM ENTER AN UNFAIR FIGHT!
Keep the substrate (moss, a few water crystals, tissue etc) moist. Depending on the temp. and ambient humidity, you will need about 1 misting a day. Just watch your substrate to see if you need more/less.
The fruit piece is meant to keep your feeders alive. It may need to be changed and added to regularly. I use banana slices for the fruit flies. A honey/pollen mix works well for many feeders.
REMEMBER, you're really feeding your cham in a cumbersome, round-about way. You add an extra step in the feeding cycle. gutload>mantis feeder>mantis>chameleon
This set-up has worked well for me.
Be patient with your ooths and keep the moisture constant. Soon you'll have way more nymphs than you bargained for...
Hope this helps! Let's use this thread to build a comprehensive guide to keeping mantids...for the purpose of feeding our CHAMELEONS!
Materials:
1.)Jar, tupperware, or any breathable enclosure that is fine enough to contain aphids or flightless fruit flies
2.)Stick or similar
3.)Tissue, moss, or water crystal to retain moisture in the enclosure
4.)Glue to attach the ooth to a surface or to attach stick to enclosure
5.)Feeder insect: fruit flies, house flies, aphids, ants, crickets...
6.)Fruit piece or Your favorite gutload
7.)Scissors to perforate the enclosure (if needed)
8.)Tissue or paper towel for plugging holes
9.)Glue stick to adhere paper towel to perforations (if needed)
The enclosure must be breathable but must also be fine enough to contain aphids or similar. I used common household tupperware and cut holes in it. Then I used a papel towel, stripped to 1-ply, to paste over the holes. Remember to paste on the inside.
The placement of the stick with the ooth is best if glued to top of lid. Use a low-heat glue gun or super glue if no insects are present...to avoid sticky situations. Make sure the "zipper" of the ooth is facing outward. If you don't know what I mean by "zipper" look at the ooth and you'll know what I mean.
The mantids will almost always prefer to hang out at the top hanging upside down. This is also why the mesh should allow feeder insect traffic close to the lid top so that the mantids have a shot to get a meal. The mesh can be obtained from a garlic pack or orange sack. You can also use aspen excelsior (recommended by mantisplace.com)
The feeders presented to the nyphs (babies) must be very small. I use flightless fruit flies (drosophila melanogaster) but many other have had great success with small ants, aphids, leafhoppers...the list goes on. Just make sure your enclosure won't spring a leak
As the mantids get older and molt, you can increase the size of the feeders. Mantids are known for their aggressive behavior and are capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves. BE FOREWARNED! DO NOT LET YOUR BABY CHAM ENTER AN UNFAIR FIGHT! Keep the substrate (moss, a few water crystals, tissue etc) moist. Depending on the temp. and ambient humidity, you will need about 1 misting a day. Just watch your substrate to see if you need more/less.
The fruit piece is meant to keep your feeders alive. It may need to be changed and added to regularly. I use banana slices for the fruit flies. A honey/pollen mix works well for many feeders.
REMEMBER, you're really feeding your cham in a cumbersome, round-about way. You add an extra step in the feeding cycle. gutload>mantis feeder>mantis>chameleon
This set-up has worked well for me.
Be patient with your ooths and keep the moisture constant. Soon you'll have way more nymphs than you bargained for...
Hope this helps! Let's use this thread to build a comprehensive guide to keeping mantids...for the purpose of feeding our CHAMELEONS!
critterguy
New Member
I wonder if it would be labor effective(cost effective too) to raise mantids for feeders. Doubt it due to cannibalism. Perhaps screen enclosures could be each seeded with several nymphs(which would quickly cannabalize down to one). Not sure what a cost effective way of feeding them(wonder if they could be raised on roaches...)
dodolah
Retired Moderator
Depending on species.
Some just refuse to eat insects that aren't flying.
i have never offered mine roaches... good suggestion. i'll try it.
I knew i did 1 mistake offering mine cricket.
I thought he can handle it... at the end, he got eaten by cricket instead.
critterguy
New Member
Lets assume we are talking of Tenodera and Mantis religiosa from now on(unless you deem these guys unsuitable for culture). They will eat anything you give them(had a few that would eat fish pellets if they were wetted and then pressed up to their mouths-highly impractical!)...but whether they can be raised on rather basic diets no idea.
I can see them being neat treats for an adult panther or veiled chameleon if raised to full size. But the amount of insects they would need to eat(not to mention care since they are almost pets themselves) would be phenomenal. Even rearing half grown mantids for Jackson's or similar would be tough.
I can see them being neat treats for an adult panther or veiled chameleon if raised to full size. But the amount of insects they would need to eat(not to mention care since they are almost pets themselves) would be phenomenal. Even rearing half grown mantids for Jackson's or similar would be tough.
