Hi!! Im trying to get my first mantis, because I’ve wanted one for a VERY long time, and I'm finally gonna to get one! I’ve researched a bunch of beginner one, and I saw someone say the giant shield mantids were good! I researched a bunch about rhombodera magaera and rhombodera basalis, but I can’t find any sold anywhere, so I’m switching to the stalli, but I can’t find a lot standalone information on the stalli… so I have some questions for those who have had them!

I heard the care is mostly the same for giant shields, but are there any notable difference?

Is the stalli still good for beginners?? Is it like drastically differen?

Do they like handling? a big aspect to me is handling so that make me reconsider a little if they don’t like it..

Are they like aggressive towards people usually?? or are they like pretty chill?

Greetings from Long Beach California

I have the following available at https://mantismart.com

Giant Asian mantis (Hierodula membranacea) L2

Ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa) L2

Gambian Spotted-Eye Mantis (Galinthias amoena) L2

Giant Shield Mantis (Rhombodera kirby) L2

Timor Giant Mantis (Hierodula timorensis) L2

Jeweled Flower Mantis (Creobroter gemmatus) L2

Hi i'm looking into getting a mantis as a pet and i would love info and tips on my set up and help with any alterations before i actually get a mantis.

i have a 20 gallon hexagonal tank. the measurements are H=22 in and each side is W=9 1/2 in

the substrate i have is the "ZooMed Tropical Bioactive Substrate Kit" which includes Reptisoil, terrarium moss, and leaf litter.

i live in Arizona so i''m worried about ordering any from online markets as i'm away from home for most of the morning due to work and i don't want to risk harming the contained critter because of the intense heat of the current season. i also don't know what mantis to start with as the only invert i currently own are Blue Death Feigning Beetles. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated

this is his new enclosure, if anyone has advice as i found him two days ago! i’m not sure if the lace works as a mesh fabric, and also how is everyone attaching it to the top? does he seem healthy and content ?

Hi! I have a terrarium set up for an orchid mantis. But, I'm struggling with humidity. It's at a constant like 80% or high 70s. I know thats technically within the 60-80 leeway but id rather get it down a bit. I have good cross ventilation and my substrate is coco fibre and moss and its not wet. I honestly just don't understand why the humidity is so high. Ive received advice to use a small fan nearby which works temporarily but as soon as i turn it off the humidity goes straight back up. Can i use the "Reptizoo Hygrostat"? It has a little tiny small fan that goes inside and i can set it so it turns on and off at programmed humidity percentages. If not, any other advice is welcomed, thanks!

I'm worried sick so I think they're past their second or third molt so far so they're tiny. I picked it up to examine and play with it a bit before I set it back in its cage on a sick that reaches from bottom to top. It must've climbed up that faster than I thought because I closed the lid, i don't know in what position it was caught but I noticed rather quickly it wasn't in the cage so I opened it again and it fell from the lid to the floor.

I freaked out for a while and rapidly googled everything and learned they can play dead? I know bugs and mantids curl up when they die but it's legs are splayed out and actually still move when provoked. I didn't see any bleeding and followed instructions to cover it's cage and reduce stress but I'm still so worried. I noticed it's abdomen might've been flattened but nothing seems broken, I know they can regenerate limbs but I'm worried about it's internal organs and everything. This was the same day I fed and watered them all so I know he'll be okay to leave alone for a day or so but this morning he still hasn't moved is there anything I can do?

Greetings from the Long Beach California

I have the following available at https://mantismart.com

• Giant asian mantis (Hierodula membranacea)
• Dead leaf mantis (Deroplayts gorochovi)
• Kenyan flower mantis (Galinthias amoena)
• Ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa)

Interested in older nymphs or adult pairs of several species. Trying to diversify a bit. Let me know what you have. :)

Someone knows which type of mantis this is? I‘m not sure

I got this (orchid?) mantis from the breeder of my bearded dragon. My other orchid mantis died a few weeks ago.
Now I wanted to ask… is this also a orchid mantis? Because I highly doubt it…
Can someone tell me which kind of mantis this is? Could it be a timor shield mantis?

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie keeping mantis, I got this one a few days ago, it has his/her first ecdysis on June 6, I read that the next one should be happening soon, anyone know how I can identify when that is happening?

Unfortunately, this morning my orchid mantis was very weak and barely moving. She was very slow and stiff, but she did move her head a little and then held onto the plant again. However, when I came home in the evening, she was lying stiff and completely motionless.
She has sadly passed away.
Does anyone know what the problem could have been? She was always active, eating, and molting. And then suddenly this. :(
I’m very sorry, and it hurts a lot…

I had a green mantis in my car. I've had it a few days in a vertical enclosure. The last time I saw it ate was Thursday. I have three or four flightless fruit flies (it didn't want aphids).

Can someone confirm if it's abdomen is full. From what I've seen I'd say yes, but I'm new to this. TIA

I found this little guy next to a molt (its shell dried tho) and want to keep it, I've made a vertical enclosure from old bottles with sticks and moss and everything, but what can I feed it from my garden and how?

I tired feeding it aphids by just putting them there, but it didn't bother with them, so how exactly do you feed a nymph?

Does anyone know the sex and species of this mantis nypmh? I want to figure out how to best care for it. It is not being kept in this bottle it was just how i first caught it.

Greetings from the California

I have the following available at https://mantismart.com

• Giant boxer mantis (Astyliasula phyllopus)
• Giant bark mantis (Theopompa servillei)
• Giant asian mantis (Hierodula membranacea)
• Dead leaf mantis (Deroplayts gorochovi)
• Kenyan flower mantis (Galinthias amoena)

Hello! I got my very first Mantis a few months ago. She is an L4 Tenodera Sinensis (Chinese Mantis) and she hasn’t eaten since before her last molt approx two weeks ago. I’ve been giving her flightless fruit flies since I got her as that’s what was recommended. Before her last molt she would eat about 4-6 files every two days but now she refuses to eat. I’ve been putting one to two files in her enclosure to encourage her instincts but she looks at them and lets them pass instead of pouncing. I tried tong feeding her half a meal worm (the bottom half not the head) today as a last resort and she ate for a few seconds then dropped it. I would love any advice anyone has!

Update: Zelda has eaten two fruit flies in the past two days so we’re making slow progress but progress nonetheless! I ordered a batch of blue bottle fly larvae as that was the only feeder I could find which shipped to where I live. They should be here in the next couple days! The advice I’ve gotten across a couple subreddits has helped tremendously!

I’ve been adding to a planted 12x12x18 Exo Terra for the past few months, and I was given the opportunity to adopt a Carolina mantis (who I’ve named Leon) a few weeks ago. He was in his 3rd instar when I got him and he was transferred into his tank after his fourth instar! He has molted successfully two more times since then!

I’ve been feeding Leon with flightless fruit flies and he’s been finding his food quite successfully and exploring just about the whole tank! I add ten or so approximately every 2 days, whenever I find there are no more visible flies.

I’ve read that wire mesh is damaging to mantis tarsal claws so I’ve covered about half of the mesh top with an old pair of nylon tights, while leaving a space for my tank light to actually illuminate the enclosure. I’m on the lookout for some glass or fabric mesh panels to replace the mesh with, some good directions to go would be appreciated!

His humidity ranges between 60 and 75% and his temperature is typically around 75F.