# White Kneed King Cricket & Mantis DUW



## PhilK (Aug 27, 2008)

Got these two today.

White Kneed King Cricket - _Penalva flavocalceata_











































Giant Rainforest Mantid - _Hierodula majuscula_ (only a nymph)






















In this photo she lost the cricket under a stick. She's peering under there to see where it went.






Got it!






























































Excuse all the photos. Got these guys from www.minibeastwildlife.com.au and would recommend their services to anybody.


----------



## mebebrian (Aug 27, 2008)

Holly cow! Evil little buggers :shock:

How big do they grow?


----------



## hallie (Aug 27, 2008)

mebebrian said:


> Pics?


 
LOL...

What camera do you use mate if you dont mind?? 

Cheers..


----------



## caustichumor (Aug 27, 2008)

Mantids would have to be the only insect I would care to keep, great photo's


----------



## urodacus_au (Aug 27, 2008)

Nice pics and animals. Miss my inverts, WA might catch up one day.

Notice on the minibeasts site the advertise L waigiensis with a body length of 200mm? They either cant measure, its a typo or they harvest their breeders from next to a nuclear reactor :lol:

Jordan


----------



## PhilK (Aug 27, 2008)

Hahaha yeah mate that's a typo.
hallie - I use a Canon Powershot G9. It's new so I'm still a novice at it,
mebebrian - not sure what animal you're referring to mate? The mantid will get much chunkier and about 7cm long. The king cricket as is is about 5-6cm long in the body but those back legs double it's length when it stretches out.


----------



## braddq (Aug 27, 2008)

Food for my geckos


----------



## DanTheMan (Aug 27, 2008)

only 7cm? having giant in the name i thought it would get bigger lol
Awesome pics!


----------



## Tsubakai (Aug 28, 2008)

Do you know if they are captive bred or wild caught? I'd love to get some mantids if I could get CB ones. Thanks for the photos.


----------



## PhilK (Aug 28, 2008)

braddq said:


> Food for my geckos



Both these animals are more than capable of eating a gecko. The mantid has a little bit of growing to do though.

dan - The name 'Giant' comes from the fact they are the largest, most heavy bodied of the mantids in Australia.

tsubakai - Both are captive bred.


----------



## redbellybite (Aug 28, 2008)

Alien looking thing now isnt it ,,,that green google eyed mantis.........


----------



## ad (Aug 28, 2008)

Those mantids are awesome. Might have to get me some, thanks for the link. (Goliath Stick insects are cool too)

Ive seen the crickets in the wild, they are massive!
Cheers
Adam.


----------



## WombleHerp (Aug 28, 2008)

WOW you really are getting into it arent you Phil 
those are really awesome looking inverts you got there. I had a mantid, I would'nt mind getting myself another, they are awesome critters! I love the way they stalk and hunt thier pray then BAM its all over for that little cricket haha. so you're saying that, that mantis you have there is the largest in Australia? thats pretty cool.. I love the 'leaf' look its got going there with its abdomen, thats a really pretty mantid! I think im going to get me some more Goliath stick insects too come to think of it.. Big inverts rock!
we need 2 catch up, havent spoken in ages!


Nat


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

I used to breed the Hierodulas, they're quite cool, and my goannas thought so too 






Nice crickets too  I've seen but never kept them. I imagine they'd be pretty neat  Don't let them bite 

If a picture says a thousand words you've just written a few novels! :shock:


----------



## DanTheMan (Aug 28, 2008)

PhilK said:


> dan - The name 'Giant' comes from the fact they are the largest, most heavy bodied of the mantids in Australia..



Oh ok, so they only get to 7cm long, but get quite fat? Is there another species of mantids that get longer but not as fat/heavy?
Iv got some pics somewhere of one I found on my house (not a giant rainforest mantid), was alot longer than 7cm. will try find it.


----------



## ryanharvey1993 (Aug 28, 2008)

nice shot sdaji, I'm no insect fan but I dont mind seeing them like that one


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

ryanharvey1993 said:


> nice shot sdaji, I'm no insect fan but I dont mind seeing them like that one



That lizard is a big fan of insects!


----------



## travie (Aug 28, 2008)

how much did you pay for both of them if you dont mind me asking?


----------



## ryanharvey1993 (Aug 28, 2008)

Sdaji said:


> That lizard is a big fan of insects!


 
I can see:lol::lol: Ive tried insects they are overrated. woodies taste like dirt, grasshoppers taste like non cooked crunchy prawns with the shells still on and worms, well I didnt taste them I just swallowed them alive :shock:


----------



## Tim.Arm (Aug 28, 2008)

*Awsome shoot's mate and nice little critters.*


----------



## euphorion (Aug 28, 2008)

if you dont mind me asking, how much did freight work out at?


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

ryanharvey1993 said:


> I can see:lol::lol: Ive tried insects they are overrated. woodies taste like dirt, grasshoppers taste like non cooked crunchy prawns with the shells still on and worms, well I didnt taste them I just swallowed them alive :shock:



Woodies are indeed horrible, but c'mon, grasshoppers are delicious! Grasshoppers are great either live or cooked, then again, I eat a lot of the shells on prawns too. Try feed crickets - they shouldn't be too crunchy for you, especially if you remove the hind legs (although I prefer to leave them on for extra crunch). Worms are pretty yummy, but I wouldn't want to eat them live. Mealworms are pretty good, although they're too rich for me to be able to eat too many; about 200g and I'm feeling very full, but I'd happily eat three or four times that weight in crickets, grasshoppers or mantids - not that I've ever had enough mantids to try.


----------



## euphorion (Aug 28, 2008)

Sadji can i just put in you my pocket and bring you out whenever someone thinks i'm weird for eating raw fish? Goodness me thats banannas!


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

You want to put your pocket in me? No! :shock:

I thought raw fish was considered normal now. I suppose it generally needs to be in sushi or eaten as sashimi at a Japanese place. When I buy salmon or tuna steaks from the supermarket deli and eat it as take away people sometimes give me odd looks.

It's weird, people think what I eat is weird, and then they'll turn around and eat crap like dim sims or McDonald's excuse for food.


----------



## ryanharvey1993 (Aug 28, 2008)

Sdaji said:


> You want to put your pocket in me? No! :shock:
> 
> I thought raw fish was considered normal now. I suppose it generally needs to be in sushi or eaten as sashimi at a Japanese place. When I buy salmon or tuna steaks from the supermarket deli and eat it as take away people sometimes give me odd looks.
> 
> It's weird, people think what I eat is weird, and then they'll turn around and eat crap like dim sims or McDonald's excuse for food.


 
raw steak is better then raw fish, I love my steak rare nice when its all bloody, its so tender and juicy


----------



## euphorion (Aug 28, 2008)

yes but raw fish is better for you than raw steak 

not a fan of red meat i must admit, kind of grosses me out a bit *rolls eyes*


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

I like my steak medium. I've eaten it raw, but I prefer it cooked. When you eat fish raw you wonder why anyone ever bothered to try cooking it, and when you try both you wonder why anyone still does.

What about eggs? I prefer those raw too. A raw egg on ice-cream is really yummy  I put one on breakfast cereal every few months, and then I remember that it's not very nice. Since I can recall that fact right now it mustn't have been long since I tried. Raw egg, milk and melon schnapps is really yummy. Raw egg, milk and freshly squeezed orange juice is not (does anyone remember the thread? :lol: ).


----------



## hornet (Aug 28, 2008)

DanTheMan said:


> Oh ok, so they only get to 7cm long, but get quite fat? Is there another species of mantids that get longer but not as fat/heavy?
> Iv got some pics somewhere of one I found on my house (not a giant rainforest mantid), was alot longer than 7cm. will try find it.



Quite a few species get longer, i found a giant earlyer in the year, was a good 14-15cm.

@ad, I have goliaths hatching out at the moment, only 2 so far but when i have a few more i could give you a few as part trade for the tank.


----------



## DanTheMan (Aug 28, 2008)

hornet said:


> Quite a few species get longer, i found a giant earlyer in the year, was a good 14-15cm.quote]
> 
> Yea thats about how big this one was


----------



## euphorion (Aug 28, 2008)

I think we'll soon have to start another thread on the topic of food *again* and as for raw egg... NAUGHTY SADJI! Tis BAD for you!! Bugs and worms and other odd things i'm not fussed about but RAW EGGS ARE A NONO. Tis like raw chicken. then again you're not dead yet... but you must have a seriously strong stomach unlike the rest of us... and yes, why people still bother cooking fish is beyond me, smoked is fine but sashimi and me have a bit of a love affair going on 

By the way, I LOVE YOUR MANTID! I colour is just amazing, i had a look at their site and am quite taken by the spiny stick-insects, cute little guys! Like the thorny devils of the insect world.


----------



## ryanharvey1993 (Aug 28, 2008)

ok, I am going to start a thread for everyone who wants to talk about eating insects and stuff


----------



## Dicco (Aug 28, 2008)

Sdaji said:


> Raw egg, milk and freshly squeezed orange juice is not (does anyone remember the thread? :lol: ).



Remember it?

I wrote my English assignment on it.

The timing of some of those pics were uncanny, haha


----------



## Dipcdame (Aug 28, 2008)

wow, they're heaps cool, but tell me, what the heck do you feed a cricket????????


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

shooshoo: Raw eggs are pretty safe. I have raw eggs for breakfast most mornings. I looked up the stats on them and yes, you do run the risk of salmonella poisoning from them, but the chances are very low. If I live another 60 years or so and have raw eggs for breakfast every day I'll probably get food poisoning two or three times, which will give me a stomach ache (well, I've actually already had one of them :lol: ).

Dipcdame: it depends on the species, some of them are predatory


----------



## skunk (Aug 28, 2008)

i ate rolled oates raw !


----------



## euphorion (Aug 28, 2008)

salmonella?? *runs away shrieking like a banshee hands in the air* fair enough. actually i think i remember something about them being bad for dogs... maybe thats what im thinking of, not that im comparing you to a dog or anything! lols. and yes im sure a dose of food poisoning is nothing you cant handle now eh? and im sure you'd take that over a dose of typical australian media sensationalism too!

ahh i crack myself up. and now im going to go abuse the new food thread.

PhilK i'm still curious as to the freight costs?


----------



## PhilK (Aug 28, 2008)

Freight was like 12 dollars I think. The mantid was 20 and the king cricket double that or so..

Jeez did this thread go off topic haha. Glad you all like them.


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

Salmonella is everywhere. It's in you right now, it's in the air you breathe and the normal food you eat. It's only a problem if it's the wrong type of Salmonella in too large a quantity.

Yes, I'd rather another dose of raw egg Salmonella (I actually got it in Texas - the only time I've eaten raw eggs overseas, presumably by coincidence) than another media circus game like the last one :lol:


----------



## Aslan (Aug 28, 2008)

*Phil* - What are the husbandry requirements for the Mantid...?


----------



## PhilK (Aug 28, 2008)

Aslan, the mantid is really dead easy to keep. I have it in a critter keeper big enough to last it until it is an adult (I hope). There's about 3 or 4cm of cocopeat/sand mix on the bottom as a substrate. It doesn't need to be too deep 'cause they don't use it. There's PLENTY of stuff to climb on - a fake plant, some sticks set up in a 'playground' style to give heaps of differing angles. During the day it hangs out on the walls and sticks etc, and during the night it sleeps hanging from the roof.

Spray with water liberally once every two days so the mantis can drink the droplets. Make sure it has good ventilation to stop it going dank in there (critter keeper is good for that). Feed once every two days or so. Hard to restrain yourself but I don't like overfeeding them as I've only had bad experiences. Take out any uneaten food after one day if it lasts that long. Clean out all the scraps if it leaves any.

Set up photos:


----------



## Rocky (Aug 28, 2008)

Ok. I want one. I am getting one. Yay.


----------



## Dave (Aug 28, 2008)

If there that easy I might buy one, where do you get the critter keepers from though? I'm in QLD so we don't need a license right?




PhilK said:


> Aslan, the mantid is really dead easy to keep. I have it in a critter keeper big enough to last it until it is an adult (I hope). There's about 3 or 4cm of cocopeat/sand mix on the bottom as a substrate. It doesn't need to be too deep 'cause they don't use it. There's PLENTY of stuff to climb on - a fake plant, some sticks set up in a 'playground' style to give heaps of differing angles. During the day it hangs out on the walls and sticks etc, and during the night it sleeps hanging from the roof.
> 
> Spray with water liberally once every two days so the mantis can drink the droplets. Make sure it has good ventilation to stop it going dank in there (critter keeper is good for that). Feed once every two days or so. Hard to restrain yourself but I don't like overfeeding them as I've only had bad experiences. Take out any uneaten food after one day if it lasts that long. Clean out all the scraps if it leaves any.
> 
> Set up photos:


----------



## PhilK (Aug 28, 2008)

No licence needed. Critter keepers from a pet shop.


----------



## Dave (Aug 28, 2008)

Sweet, will they fight if you had two together? No heat right? They look really neat lol.




PhilK said:


> No licence needed. Critter keepers from a pet shop.


----------



## ally_pup (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks for that Phil, you have now put two more species on my to buy list,
the spiney leafs and the rainforest mantis'!
Thanks


----------



## PhilK (Aug 28, 2008)

Dave94 said:


> Sweet, will they fight if you had two together? No heat right? They look really neat lol.



One will eat the other. Don't keep them together.

My king cricket just finished munching down a head crushed cricket. Was fascinating to watch. Amazing how their mouthparts work.. just like a robot.


----------



## callith (Aug 28, 2008)

very cool


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 28, 2008)

Far out, man! Mine were just kept in a plastic tub and if they were lucky they'd get a twig :lol: You have fancy stuff! Even a fake plant! Wow! I never even thought of using substrate :lol:


----------



## Khagan (Aug 29, 2008)

PhilK said:


> Spray with water liberally once every two days so the mantis can drink the droplets.
> 
> Feed once every two days or so.



When you say spray with water do you mean like on a wall etc?

Howmuch do they eat? And does it have to be crickets or are woodies just as good?


----------



## PhilK (Aug 29, 2008)

Khagan said:


> When you say spray with water do you mean like on a wall etc?
> 
> Howmuch do they eat? And does it have to be crickets or are woodies just as good?



You can spray the wall yeah, but I just spray everything, including the mantis. It dries quick because of the ventilation.

They'll eat til they pop. Crickets, woodies, spiders, flies, mealworms, moths, lizards of appropriate sizes. Seen an adult eat an AHG.. You can feed them anything.


----------



## Khagan (Aug 29, 2008)

PhilK said:


> You can spray the wall yeah, but I just spray everything, including the mantis. It dries quick because of the ventilation.
> 
> They'll eat til they pop. Crickets, woodies, spiders, flies, mealworms, moths, lizards of appropriate sizes. Seen an adult eat an AHG.. You can feed them anything.



Cool  sounds very easy and looks awesome, i'll be getting one myself!


----------



## jordo (Aug 29, 2008)

Nice inverts, king crickets make fairly boring captives imo but I love mantids.


----------



## ezekiel86 (Aug 29, 2008)

Tripped out >>>> 
green one is killa>>


----------



## euphorion (Aug 29, 2008)

I'm completely sold, will be ordering mine tonight!


----------



## PhilK (Aug 30, 2008)

jordo said:


> Nice inverts, king crickets make fairly boring captives imo but I love mantids.



The king cricket has actually been more active than the mantis. During the day they both just hold still - the mantis waiting for prey. During the night the mantis doesn't move at all and the king cricket cruises all around its tank, pulling leaves and sphagnum moss all around.

Glad to see all the people replying here and PMing me about where to buy the mantids from.


----------

