Beginner's Guide to Praying Mantises: Info, Species, Care
Adult Male Timor Shield Mantis (R. kirbyi)
What is a Mantis?
Mantises are a unique group of insects that consist of the order Mantodea. There are currently 2,400 species of mantis recognized worldwide and come in a wide range of shapes and colors. They can be large and green like Chinese Mantises that have naturalized in North America, or even small, pink and white like the Orchid Mantis. Mantises can make excellent beginner or advanced pets for those interested in keeping invertebrates and are considered quite personable/curious. Species include:
1) Asian Flower Mantis
2) Ghost Mantis
3) Ant Mantis
4) Dead Leaf Mantis
5) European Mantis
Did you know?
Mantises go through incomplete metamorphosis as they grow! They are born as physically small versions of adults and molt a series of times into adulthood. Some species like Orchid Mantises actually have offspring that are different colors than the adults!
What Can You Keep a Pet Mantis In?
Although care is species specific, mantises are very tolerant and hardy to housing environments. Additional care and set up plans are required for more specialized species such as Spiny Flower and Orchid Mantises. A general rule of thumb is to provide an enclosure that's height is at least three times the body length of the mantis, and the width is at least double the body length of your mantis.
Small species such as Japanese Boxers, Jeweled Flowers, and Ant Mantises will thrive in a ventilated 32-oz cup when provided proper enrichment.
Larger species will outgrow 32-oz cups and will require enclosed mesh butterfly enclosures in order to move freely and safely. These nets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and you can decorate and enrich them as much as you want. We have one that provides adequate space for most species, including larger species such as shield mantises (link below).
You can also keep mantises in bioactive terrariums from acrylic and glass tanks.
We recommend the following enclosures for most mantis species below:
1. Clear Micro Hatchling & Invertebrate Enclosures with Easy-Feed Ports (for Mantis Nymphs)
2. White Mesh Butterfly & Insect Habitat Cage (Perfect for Most Species)
What do You Need to Look Out for When Caring for a Mantis?
Temperature Range:
Ideally 68-80℉ for most species.
Some tropical species require closer to 78-83℉
Humidity:
For most species, 40-70% is an ideal range. As previously stated, some species will need additional care and may require humidity between 80-90%. This is best accomplished through the provision of sphagnum moss or routine misting without heavily saturating the substrate
Substrate:
Organic substrate is best. At Scholarly Exotics, we use a combination of sphagnum moss with a small portion of coconut coir or soil. We use this in conjunction with springtails to consume mantis feces.
Enrichment/Enclosure Decor:
Climbing surfaces is an absolute must for mantises. We use pieces of popsicle stick or dried grass that holds shape to give them ample climbing space. In larger enclosures you can provide potted houseplants and driftwood to mimic natural environments. If you provide materials sourced directly from outdoor environments, take necessary precautions to disinfect them to prevent unwanted pests and parasites affecting your mantis.
Mantis Feeding Instructions
Mantises are opportunistic carnivores and will consume most prey that they can catch. Some species will only prefer winged insects, whereas others will eat any prey offered to them. Species such as Orchid Mantises will likely only want to consume winged prey.
Mantis life stages are identified based on how many times they have molted. For instance, a newborn mantis is considered I1, since it is at its first instar. Once it has molted, it is now an I2 mantis, being on its second instar. Instar quantity is species and sex-specific, as females tend to be larger than males and will require to go through additional instars. Luckily in species like Ghost Mantises, both sexes have the same number of instars in their lifecycle.
General rule of thumb is to offer prey no larger than a third to half the body size of the mantis. This ensures that the mantises can safely handle their prey and consume it efficiently without risk of harm.
To feed your mantis, you can either place their live prey into their habitat or tong-feed them their prey. Tong feeding mantises is quite similar to feeding other animals such as frogs and snakes. You can hold the prey out in front of them, waiting for the mantis to notice and grab the prey with their raptorial forelegs (claws). Usually this works, however some mantises can be quite picky.
A quick tip to get a picky mantis to eat is by quickly dispatching the prey and offering the crushed portion directly in front of the mantis. If the mantis is eating, you will see its mandibles moving back and forth and then will grab the prey item. Once the mantis is holding their prey on their own, there is no longer a need to hold the prey with your tongs/tweezers.
Please do not feed outdoor insects to your mantises
Before acquiring a mantis, please do additional research into their natural history to assess what prey items will suffice for the mantis as it grows.
Below is a little guide for what foods to feed Ghost Mantises based on their instar/stage as an example
I1: 3-5x Flightless Fruit Flies (Melanogaster), Springtails
Feed every other day to promote steady growth
I2: 3-5x Flightless Fruit Flies (Melanogaster), Springtails
Feed every other day to promote steady growth
I3-I5: 3-5x Flightless Fruit Flies (Hydei)
Feed every other day to promote steady growth
I6-I8: 1x of either: Small Dubia Roaches, Small Red Runner Roaches, Mealworms
Feed every other day to promote steady growth. If you see reddish pieces of prey stuck towards the sides of the enclosure or on decor, this means your mantis likely overate and is unwell. If this occurs, fast them for 2-3 days and only lightly mist their enclosure after 30-36 hours. Highter humidity tends to exacerbate that ailment in most mantis species.
As mantises grow, they also have the chance to outgrow the food they ate at previous instars. This implies that those prey items do not contribute enough energy to growth and development for the mantis. For example, an I6-I8 Ghost Mantis will not eat fruit flies, since they are too small for them to catch, let alone contribute enough energy towards conditioning for reproduction.
Conclusions:
Thank you for reading our introductory guide to Mantises. If you have any questions or concerns about your exotic pet that we specialize in, please contact us at scholarlyexotics@gmail.com.
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