Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Jase]

Amazing, I must admit I was tempted by some of these at Hamm
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A lil bit of Madagascar

[Stuart]

Stunning Ron..really nice.
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[captainmerkin]

Orchid Mantis are my favourite insect on the planet they are absolutely stunning and superb to watch and keep.


I had mine from around January last year till a few weeks ago, she was kept in a small venitalted homemade box with wire mesh sides for the first few months and fed fruit flies.

After a few months she was on wasps and moths, then once fully grown was taking adult crickets and locusts nearly her size (orchid mantis are not know for eating crickets and locusts from what I hear).

For a good 6 months she was kept in a 5 ft aquarium with some giant millipedes and a lot of plants at room temperature, I had no problems with her like this.

Considering its an insect after all she did seem very docile and would tolerate handing a great deal as well as hanging out on my desk while I worked on my computer muching wax moth grubs.

I plan on gettign a load more of them if I do not fill the aquarium and trying to keep them communally in large planted space, which addmittedly I have been advised is not the best idea.

I hope that 5 ft of space will be enough for 5 mantids if plenty of hides are added and some flowers.

Heating and very high humidity is apparently needed but I never had issues though only had 1 of this species

I was also advised that a mantid we starve if put in a large tank as it will not find food, but this was not the case it actively hunted crickets and moths as well as laying in wait, and was always good and plump!

best insect out there if you ask me!