# Praying Mantids



## PhilK (Sep 2, 2007)

Hey all, just watched a doco on Praying Mantids and have recalled how awesome they are (them, and dragonflies). Anybody out there keep these guys (mantids)? Please post photos of your critters and your enclosures. Where can I get some, how much etc?

Thanks!


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## mr black (Sep 2, 2007)

I used to keep them but don't anymore. I have never seen them for sale, all the ones I had I found. As for keeping them you can keep them in pretty much anything. No matter what mine always just hung from the ceiling waiting for something to wonder by. Never did appreciate the fake plants etc that I put in there!


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## Dmander (Sep 2, 2007)

I found a baby green the other day, i also wouldent mind some tips,
Mines currently kept in a clicclac, with some live grass and plants so sustan the afids he eats.
Eveny now and then, i put a afid covered rose trim in.


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## hornet (Sep 2, 2007)

when i keep them i keep them in 1.25l-2l drink bottles with the top cut off and stocking over. Have a few dead branhes to climb on, cocopeat for a substrate, keep it moise. For youngins feed fruit flies. Crickets, house flies, beetles and anything else that will climb for larger specimens. Never seen them for sale but i may have some soon if my egg cases are good.


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## mr black (Sep 2, 2007)

Do you know what species the oothecas are from hornet?


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## hornet (Sep 3, 2007)

no, i do have pics somwhere will post them for you, they are a medium sized species, green with wings


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## Sdaji (Sep 3, 2007)

Muffin!

These are old pictures of Muffin, my _Archimantis latistyla_. This species is common across most of Australia, Muffin is the green morph, the brown one is more common in most areas.


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## hornet (Sep 3, 2007)

we get both the brown and green of that species here.


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## WombleHerp (Sep 3, 2007)

i always used to find huge ones in my front yard, and alot of lady beetles come to mention it, but now they are all gone. have been for a while now. quite sad really, i always loved it when their eggs hatched and a billion little critters came out! good times good times..


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## Davo66 (Sep 3, 2007)

As a kid I'ld catch flies, pull one of their wings off and put them on the shrub where I had found a mantis. Really enjoyed to thrill of the hunt and the final strike and kill!.

Sounds abit dramatic but I was only 12 years old, actually I remember doing similar only a few years back and now I'm 41yrs lol never really grow up! 
 Davo


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## JKretzs613 (Sep 4, 2007)

*Hello*

Hello,

Are they hard to keep? I have never tried. I did try to save one one time, though. It had gotten injured & it just didn't make it but at least it didn't get eaten & lived with us for a few days before it died.

Tracie


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## mr_muesli (Sep 4, 2007)

Wow, great pics Sdaji, they look huge in those photos, lol.


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## hornet (Sep 4, 2007)

JKretzs613 said:


> Hello,
> Are they hard to keep? I have never tried. I did try to save one one time, though. It had gotten injured & it just didn't make it but at least it didn't get eaten & lived with us for a few days before it died.
> Tracie



pretty easy to keep. Some tropical species from asia, africa and south america can be a little more delicate.


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