Mantis insect: what it eats, where it lives, how it hibernates. What to feed praying mantises? A detailed analysis of food objects What can be fed to praying mantises other than insects

Today, praying mantises are increasingly kept as pets. Such insects do not exude unpleasant odors, do not make annoying sounds. They do not need a lot of space in the apartment. Let's find out what does keeping a praying mantis at home involve? What are the subtleties of caring for such a pet?

Where to get a praying mantis and how much does it cost?

Before we figure out what are the features of keeping a praying mantis at home, the photo of which can be seen in our article, let's find out where to get such an unusual pet. These predators can be seen in some exotic animal stores. An alternative option is to buy online.

People who have not previously kept insects should pay attention to the African praying mantis, which is unpretentious in care and will cost relatively inexpensively - about 500 rubles. For comparison, the same one costs about 3,000 rubles. The most beautiful, unusual and expensive species is called the devil's flower. The price of such a pet is from 10 thousand rubles.

What do praying mantises eat?

What is the maintenance and feeding of the praying mantis at home? Proper feeding is of particular importance. In the warm season, moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, which can be caught on the street, can become food for such a pet. As for the natural habitat of these predators, here they do not disdain even stinging insects, such as wasps and bees.

Keeping a praying mantis at home in winter requires buying food from a pet supply store. Khrushchev larvae, all kinds of crickets, caterpillars, cockroaches, bloodworms will do. Some of these insects are worth trying to grow at home. However, you should not catch ordinary Prussians for the praying mantis, as they can be infected with chemicals. Spiders are often dangerous for such a pet, as some of them are poisonous.

Features of feeding

It is immediately worth noting that the process of eating the prey mantis is an entertaining sight. This predator prefers to carefully disassemble the prey in parts, slowly chewing on individual pieces and throwing hard chitin aside.

There are several ways to offer food to a pet: run victims into his home or serve with tweezers. If preference is given to the first option, in this case, the insect that is used in the form of feeding must be lightly pressed down in advance. Thus, it will be easier for the praying mantis to catch moving prey. Be that as it may, for this predator it is extremely important that the victim is alive.

Be sure to check whether the pet eats all the food offered. For example, bloodworms and caterpillars dry out too quickly. Their decaying remains can spread infections. Therefore, all bits of insects must be removed from the dwelling of the praying mantis.

An important principle of keeping a praying mantis at home is its restriction in food. Adults are extremely voracious. Overeating praying mantises can die as a result of damage to the abdomen. It must also be taken into account that the more food such a predatory insect consumes, the shorter its life will last.

Where to place a pet?

Keeping a praying mantis at home requires the preparation of a special dwelling. The most suitable option is a terrarium with good ventilation. The minimum parameters of such a container should be 15x15x20 centimeters. The interior space should not be empty. Here you need to put all kinds of branches. After all, the praying mantis needs objects on which he can crawl. A good decor will be artificial or living plants.

The simplest and most affordable home for such a pet looks like an ordinary plastic container. You can also use a glass aquarium. In the latter case, it will be possible to freely observe the behavior of the insect. If you plan to keep praying mantises at home for the purpose of breeding them, you need to take care of preparing several terrariums. After all, these predators are able to demonstrate quite aggressive behavior towards relatives.

Praying mantises love warmth. A comfortable temperature should be maintained in their home at a level of at least 23 ° C. An ordinary light bulb will be a good heater, which will also serve as lighting. If you wish, you can spend money on buying a heating pad. However, it must be borne in mind that the heat is also detrimental to praying mantises. It is important that the temperature in the insect's housing does not exceed 30 ° C. The use of a small thermometer that can be fixed on the wall of the terrarium will allow you to control the situation.

How to drink a praying mantis?

Like any other living beings, such an insect will need access to moisture. For these purposes, you can use a container with a sprayer, with which it is enough to spray water on the walls of the pet's home. In addition, so that the praying mantis does not feel thirsty, a small lid filled with liquid should be placed in the terrarium. Next to such a drinker, several sticks should be placed for which the insect can hold on.

Is the praying mantis dangerous for humans?

Despite their predatory nature, such pets are not capable of harming the owner. Praying mantises are absolutely non-venomous. Only in some cases can these insects perceive a human finger as a potential prey. However, their jaws are too weak to bite through the skin and cause significant pain.

There are several tips for keeping at home:

You should be careful in handling your pet. In no case should you allow an insect to fall from a great height. Otherwise, the praying mantis may receive injuries that will lead to his death.
The more often people are near the terrarium, the faster the insect will domesticate. So that such a pet does not show aggression towards others and does not feel fear, it must be periodically picked up.
It is necessary to ensure that excess fluid does not accumulate in the dwelling of the praying mantis. This omission can lead to the development of pathogens in the substrate and attract small pests.
It is much better to spend energy on self-raising a pet than to acquire an adult. In this case, keeping a praying mantis at home will bring much more pleasure.

This is one of the most unusual and mysterious insects on our planet. It differs from many others in its habits, lifestyle, and some behavioral features that can shock. First of all, this is behavior during the mating season. But this is not the main feature of the praying mantis insect. In this article, we will talk in detail about this amazing creature, its lifestyle, species, and habitats. You will learn what the praying mantis eats, how the reproduction process takes place.

Spreading

The praying mantis is widely distributed in South and Central Europe, South and North America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. These insects do not live only in the northern regions, since they are extremely negative about the cold. But in the humid and hot climate of tropical Africa and South America, they feel great.

They feel no less comfortable in tropical forests, in rocky deserts, in steppe regions. The praying mantis insect rarely moves, preferring its habitat to distant and unknown territories. The only reason that can make him go on a trip is the lack of food.

Types of praying mantis

Scientists believe that our planet is inhabited by about two thousand different species of these insects. Naturally, in this article we will not be able to present you with all the varieties, but we will tell you about the most, in our opinion, unusual representatives of this family.

common praying mantis

This is a rather large representative of the species: the female is up to seven centimeters long, the male is about six. In the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia, where the praying mantis of this species lives, it can be distinguished by an ovoid abdomen and black spots located on the front pairs of legs on the inside. They are usually painted green or brown. This species has well developed wings. In any case, the praying mantis flies quite easily from branch to branch.

Chinese praying mantis

From the name you can understand that China is the birthplace and place of distribution. This is a large insect, reaching a length of fifteen centimeters. The male Chinese mantis is much smaller. They are painted green or brown. The peculiarity of this species lies in the nocturnal lifestyle, although its relatives sleep at night.

In addition, young individuals of this species do not have wings: they grow only after several molts.

Creobroter meleagris

This is a resident of India, Cambodia, Vietnam and a number of Asian countries. In length, such insects reach five centimeters. Painted in cream or white. Their distinguishing feature is light brown stripes running along the head and entire body. In addition, one small and one larger cream-colored spot can be seen on the wings.

Flower praying mantis (Indian)

Creobroter gemmatus is common in the forests of Vietnam, South India and other Asian countries. This species does not differ in large sizes: females grow up to only four centimeters, and males are slightly smaller. The body is elongated. For additional protection from enemies, special spikes of various heights are located on the hips of representatives of this species.

orchid mantis

It seems to us that this is the most spectacular praying mantis. It got its name for a reason - for the amazing resemblance to beautiful flowers, orchids. It is on them that the insect sets up an ambush in anticipation of the victim. Females of this species are twice as large as males: eight and four centimeters. Orchid mantises, even among their brethren, are distinguished by amazing courage: they attack even insects that are more than twice their size.

spiny flower mantis

Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii is an inhabitant of Africa. It closely resembles the Indian flower mantis. Its color is especially interesting: on the upper pair of wings you can see a pattern that resembles a spiral. On the abdomen of the representatives of this species there are spines, which gave the name to the species. Representatives of this species are painted in cream shades.

They fly well, and both males and females, due to their low weight, besides, the wings of such insects are well developed. Interestingly, these insects have spots on them that resemble an eye with two pupils, which, according to researchers, can scare away predators. Representatives of the species live in the flowers of plants, where they watch for their prey.

The history of the name of insects

In 1758, the name of these insects was given by the Swedish traveler and scientist Carl Linnaeus, who drew attention to the usual posture of the praying mantis, which is in ambush and waits for its prey. It is very reminiscent of the pose of a praying person. The scientist named the insect Mantis religiosa, which can be translated as "religious priest". In Russian, the name came modified - "praying mantis". True, it is not called that way everywhere: for example, in Spain it is called Caballito del Diablo, which translates as "the devil's horse". This somewhat eerie name is probably due to the habits of praying mantises.

Description of praying mantises

The insect has an elongated body, which distinguishes it from many arthropods. This is perhaps the only living creature that can easily turn its triangular head 360 °. Thanks to this, the praying mantis can see his enemy approaching from behind. The insect has only one ear, but despite this, the praying mantis does not complain about hearing.

Its eyes have a complex faceted structure and are located on the sides of the head, but in addition to them, the praying mantis has three more simple eyes located above the base of the whiskers. Antennae can be pinnate, filiform, or comb-like, depending on the species. Almost all praying mantis species have perfectly developed wings, but males fly more often, females have a much larger weight, which makes flying difficult.

Praying mantis wings are represented by two pairs: anterior and posterior. The first are the elytra, which practically protect the hindwings, which are quite brightly colored and often with original patterns. But the earthen praying mantis (Geomantis larvoides) does not have wings at all.

Circulation in praying mantises is quite primitive, which is explained by an unusual respiratory system. The praying mantis receives oxygen through a complex system of tracheae, which are connected to spiracles (stigmas) located on the abdomen in the back and middle parts of the body. The trachea contains air sacs that increase ventilation of the respiratory system.

color

Like many insects, praying mantises in nature have the ability to camouflage to protect themselves from enemies. They change body color depending on the habitat: yellow, brown, green. Brown insects are inseparable from the bark of trees, while green ones live on green leaves.

What does a praying mantis eat?

It should be noted that the praying mantis is a predator that feeds on smaller insects and is not afraid to attack prey larger than itself. Flies and mosquitoes, wasps and bees, butterflies and bumblebees, beetles - this is all that the praying mantis eats. Larger species are able to attack even small birds, rodents and small amphibians: lizards, frogs.

Praying mantises attack their prey from an ambush, swiftly grab it with their front paws and do not let go until they have completely eaten it.

Mantis lifestyle

Having dealt with what the praying mantis eats, it is necessary to get acquainted with how the life of this insect is organized. The praying mantis leads a sedentary lifestyle, settling in one territory for a long time. If there is enough food around, the insect can spend its entire life on one plant or tree branch.

Despite the fact that praying mantises fly well and have two pairs of wings, they rarely use them, preferring to use their long limbs for movement. Males fly mainly at night, flying from branch to branch. In addition, they move from tier to tier, at the foot of tall trees and on the tops of crowns, depending on where the praying mantises live.

We talked about the fact that these insects do not tolerate cold. Therefore, the question arises of how the praying mantis hibernates. He experiences the cold period of time in the form of diapausing eggs, the laying of which begins in summer and ends in late autumn. A clutch can contain up to 300 eggs. They are until spring in a capsule and easily tolerate frosts up to 18 ° C.

Mantis breeding

With the beginning of the mating season (as a rule, it falls on autumn), the praying mantis males, using their sense of smell, begin to search for females that are ready to mate. Having found his chosen one, the male performs a “marriage dance” in front of her, which automatically turns him into a sexual partner. After this, mating begins, during which the female praying mantis bites off the male's head and then completely eats him.

Scientists believe that this behavior has biological causes. By eating her "groom", the female replenishes the supply of protein nutrients that are necessary for future offspring. In rare cases, the male manages to leave the bloodthirsty chosen one in time and avoids the sad fate.

After some time, the female lays eggs, enveloping their entire surface with a special sticky secret that she secretes from the glands. For eggs, this is a kind of protective capsule, which is called ootheca. The fertility of each female largely depends on the species. As a rule, one clutch consists of 300-400 eggs. In eggs treated in this way, insect larvae stay from three weeks to six months, after which they crawl out of them on their own. Then their development proceeds rapidly, and after four to eight molts the larva turns into an adult praying mantis.

praying mantises- carnivorous insects. Most species of praying mantis live in tropical countries, although some species are found in the northern regions. The closest relatives are stick insects, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Like relatives, praying mantises undergo metamorphoses, they go through several stages of growing up.

For the most part, praying mantises are of tropical origin, so they should be kept warm (20-25 "C). Young praying mantises feed on aphids, fruit flies, fruit flies and other small insects. Young people grow quickly if you provide them with a large amount of food.

Most praying mantis species are aggressive towards each other and if kept together they can eat each other, especially if one praying mantis is larger than the others. Almost all praying mantises are good at eating insects that are the size of the praying mantis or even larger.

Praying mantises usually do not drink, however, it is good if there is a small dish of water in the room where they are kept. A dish of water also provides the necessary moisture. If there is no dish, then it is necessary to spray water every day.

Housing. As the mantis grows, it will shed its skin several times, growing larger in each stage. For newborn insects, a small container, such as a yogurt cup, is suitable, a teenage praying mantis can be transplanted into a jar of jam or a bottle of milk. The top of the yogurt cup should be covered with cling film. A small hole must be made in the film to feed the feed. A tube can be inserted into the hole to provide fresh air. Regardless of the type of container used, branches should be placed in it so that the insect can crawl and hang on them (during the molting period). The height of the container (floor to ceiling) should be three times the length of the insect.

reproduction. It is difficult to distinguish between male and female young individuals, but it is easy in adult praying mantises: males have eight lobes on the inside of the abdomen, females have six. Before mating (separately from each other), the male and female are heavily fed for several days. It is advisable to use a large container for breeding, otherwise the female may eat the male. Mating may occur immediately or it may take several days. Food must always be present in the cage so that the female can eat during mating. After the end of mating, the male sits down.

The female (depending on age and species) can lay 30 to 300 eggs. The emergence of larvae from eggs is observed between 3-6 months. Young people can be born all at once or at different times. Young praying mantises can be kept together for some time, but then the container should be large, there should be many secret places in it, live food should constantly live, all these conditions will prevent cannibalism. After the second or third molt, the praying mantis should be seated.

For active growth, small praying mantises need constant food. The praying mantis should eat as much as he wants to eat. Adults feed once or twice a week. Do not overfeed adults, as some species may be prone to overeating, which can lead to the death of the pet. We advise you to feed in a balanced and moderate way.

As you know, you can’t catch insects in winter. But this problem is also solvable. You can buy maggots in pet stores and fish departments. If the maggots are kept at room temperature, then they will pupate, and fresh flies will appear in a week. Also, due to the popularity of terrariums, many breeders will willingly share cockroaches and various beetle larvae with you.

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Description

The coloration is protective, very variable, ranging from green or yellow to brown-gray or dark brown. The pronotum is of moderate length, the forelegs are prehensile, in addition to getting food, they are also used for locomotion. Hind legs running. The wings are well developed in both the male and the female (although females fly very poorly and reluctantly due to their impressive size). Abdomen ovoid, rather long.

How to keep a praying mantis as a pet?

A praying mantis can be a fun and cuddly pet. This pet is intuitive and smarter than most members of the insect family. A praying mantis can often live up to a year, and sometimes more, if properly cared for. In fact, some naturalists even claim that the praying mantis can recognize a person.

1. Make a home for the praying mantis

The container for keeping the praying mantis should not be too large so that he can find his prey and, at the same time, it should not be too small so that he is not too crowded. The length of the container should be 3-4 times longer than the praying mantis itself, and the height should be at least 2 times its length. The reason for this is that the praying mantis needs to have enough space to follow its prey, but not too much, otherwise it won't be able to find it.

2. Create the right environment

For the life of a praying mantis, a favorable environment is necessary. Make holes in the top of the lid or container so the mantis can breathe. The cage should have several plants of the same color as the insect so that your pet can disguise itself, but the cage should not be crowded. The bottom of the container should be filled with a layer of soil about 1.2 cm thick, preferably sand. Make sure the container is not too damp. If its sides are foggy, add a few more holes on the top or sides. Spray the inside of the cage with water about once a day so that the praying mantis has water to drink. The praying mantis will climb up the side of the container and lick the water. If you place an open container of water in his dwelling, the praying mantis may fall into it and drown.

3. Feed the praying mantis

The nutritional requirements of a praying mantis will vary depending on their growth stage, although if in general they don't need a lot of food.

For grubs purchased from a pet store: Feed fruit flies, small crickets, mosquitoes, aphids, and other small insects.

For an adult moulting praying mantis (instar): proceed to increase the size of the insects, and then in each shedding period, feed normally, but remove anything he ignores because the mantis may not eat during the moult.
For a fully grown praying mantis, you will have to work hard: catch butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers, or even house flies. In the wild, praying mantises will consume anything they can catch and hold. They have even been known to eat bees and wasps in the wild, but you probably don't want to mess with them.
It is not necessary to buy crickets from a pet store, although some people will tell you that using wild crickets can make your pet sick. There may not be any harm... for store-raised praying mantises, but there will be harm for wild-caught ones. When it comes to pet store-bought crickets, be careful. Many pet stores don't feed or properly care for crickets, and any diseases these crickets may end up passing on to your mantis. If you're unsure, feed store-bought or wild-caught crickets a good diet for a few days to help them deal with the bacteria in their gut and they'll be fine.
Do not feed your praying mantis live food that is larger than it, or that might eat your praying mantis.

What to feed the praying mantis in winter?

In winter, as you know, you can’t catch insects on the street, but this problem can also be solved.
you can buy maggots in a pet store - they are sold in plastic containers in which dry sawdust is poured; At home, such a container can be stored in the refrigerator. If this container is kept at room temperature, the maggot pupates quickly and you will have fresh flies in a week. The second option is zofobuses: in a box with cereals, they not only live well, but also continue to multiply. Various types of cockroaches are well suited for winter nutrition. In extreme cases, you can feed the praying mantis in small portions of meat. But in large quantities, meat should not be given - the insect can get sick and die.

Under natural conditions, the praying mantis grabs any insect that passes by it. Young growth needs more food for full development; adults can go without food for five days.

But you should not throw in large numbers of forage insects - this can lead to stress for the praying mantis. In addition, some insects have rather developed jaws with which they can bite the praying mantis during molting.

Food for a pet is any insect that is suitable for it in size. Young animals need to be fed with small insects - such as aphids, fruit flies, fruit flies. Adults are very voracious, they eat almost any insect in large numbers and can even eat a small lizard or mouse.

Adults are fed once a week: you need to make sure that the praying mantis does not overeat, otherwise the abdomen cannot be ruptured. Be sure to have water in the terrarium. You can use a special insect drinker so that the animals do not accidentally drown, or a plastic lid for the jar.

If you thought that the praying mantis is a harmless and very calm insect with a passive demeanor, then get ready to learn something new about them. Researchers have found that these aggressive carnivorous insects kill and eat not only small reptiles such as frogs and lizards, but also small birds. A study by an international team of zoologists has documented this behavior of praying mantis around the world.

It is noteworthy that, in general, this behavior of praying mantises was not special. A YouTube search easily turns up a selection of videos showing a mantis eating a hummingbird. A new study by a group of zoologists systematically documented 147 attacks by praying mantises, representing 12 different species, on small birds. Scientists tracked behavior in 13 countries, finding that praying mantises prey on 24 bird species.

Interestingly, more than 70 percent of the documented cases have been in the United States, and most of the victims are hummingbirds. Praying mantises have been used in gardens for many decades as biological pest control agents, and to this day, many Americans still use both imported and native species for pest control. But a new study shows that the insects also pose a threat to small passerine birds. In addition, this indiscriminateness of praying mantises makes them not the best means of fighting insects.

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Increasingly, you can see unusual pets in people's homes. Instead of dogs and cats, people are happy to take care of snakes and insects. praying mantis, content which can not be called difficult, also managed to become a pet.

The praying mantis is a large carnivorous insect that has an unusual appearance and interesting behavior. Although not all people can call him handsome, he has quite a few fans who are ready to take care of him. If you want to diversify your life with an original pet that will not take up much space, then the praying mantis is a good choice.

Many people are fascinated by the habits of this predatory insect. It is not for nothing that he is noted for his unique body shape, the manner of suddenly freezing, tracking down prey and folding his front legs in a gesture that is very reminiscent of prayer. The male grows up to 5 cm in length. Females are much larger than males and can reach a size of 7 cm. The color of this insect varies.(from bright green to sandy, less often there are individuals of a dark brown hue).

Usually, praying mantises are aggressive towards members of their own species Therefore, keeping several insects in one place is not recommended. The praying mantis abode is a fairly spacious container. At the same time, its height should be 3 times the length of the praying mantis, so that he does not feel uncomfortable during movement. A 1-litre jar will suffice for a small insect, but an adult must have room to walk, so it is better to purchase an aquarium that should be covered with a net. If you manage to equip a real terrarium, then your pet and you yourself will definitely appreciate it. The more free space, the more interesting it is to observe the insect.

When keeping praying mantises at home, you will have to monitor humidity levels to which insects are very sensitive. It is enough to spray the soil with settled tap water at room temperature several times a week. You can also use a drinker. But it should be small so that the insect can easily crawl out of it if it gets into the water. Too high a humidity level should not be allowed, as the soil may become moldy.

Lighting is very important for praying mantises, since they are diurnal insects and their activity falls on the bright part of the day. At home, ordinary fluorescent lamps can become their "sun". But in no case can mantises live under direct sunlight.

Mantis can be picked up without harm to health. These pets are quite slow and completely harmless to humans. But still, you should not make sudden movements, make noise or otherwise scare the insect. It can suddenly run away, fall and be injured. If you behave carefully, then the praying mantis is sure to please you with good behavior.

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A little about the insect

An adult praying mantis can be quite large - its length can be ten or more centimeters.

The color of this insect can be yellow, green, light brown or other, depending on the environment. Having the ability to mimic by nature, the praying mantis can merge with branches, plants and stones that have a similar color, and therefore it will be very difficult to notice.

It has a triangular, highly movable head, with which it can rotate 180 degrees. The front paws with sharp spikes are well developed, with which he captures his prey and holds it while eating. The praying mantis also has wings, but it flies very poorly, so most often it sits motionless in one place, waiting for prey.

The lifespan of a domestic praying mantis is about two months, but some species, according to some sources, can live up to a year.

Temperature regime

Since insects are tropical inhabitants, it is necessary to keep the praying mantis at home in a temperature range of 20 to 25 ° C, while also observing the necessary humidity regime. Maintaining humidity in the praying mantis cage is not difficult, just spray water over the cage once a day, this will be enough.

How does a homemade praying mantis eat

How to feed a praying mantis at home? Such pets prefer aphids, flies, as well as other insects that are suitable in size. Young individuals grow very quickly, provided that the owner feeds them well.

Many representatives of mantises can be aggressive towards their relatives, so cannibalism is quite possible, especially if there is a significant difference in size between individuals. Domestic praying mantises may also consume insects of the same size, or perhaps even larger than themselves.
Praying mantises in most cases do not drink water, however, you should place a container of water in the place where they are kept. It will also serve as a source of moisture to maintain the desired microclimate. In the absence of a container, a necessary condition will be to spray water to ensure humidity.

Living conditions

In the stages of its development, the praying mantis tends to shed its skin, thus increasing in size. For individuals that have just been born, a small container will be an excellent housing, but for teenagers, you can use a jar or something similar in size. The temporary dwelling of young praying mantises should be covered with a film, after making a hole in it for feeding. A prerequisite is the presence of branches in the container, which should be exactly three times larger than the young.

Reproduction features

The young praying mantis at home has almost no gender difference, however, adults can be easily recognized due to the fact that males have eight lobes on the abdomen, but females have only six. Before the insects begin to mate, they must be fed a large amount of food, while separating from each other. In order for the male not to become food for the female, a large container is needed where the breeding process will take place. The whole action may take several minutes or days, but the presence of food is required. After mating is over, the male is separated from the female.

The female can produce eggs in quantities from 30 to 300 pieces. The larvae will be born in the interval from 3 to 6 months, while hatching, they may not all at once.

The main nuance for keeping praying mantises at home is the presence of a large container for their habitat, in which live food must be present, as well as the ability to hide its inhabitants. By observing these requirements, cannibalism will be excluded, however, after the insects shed several times, they must be seated.

If you want to get yourself an unusual insect, then a homemade praying mantis is ideal. This insect is undemanding in content and does not take up much space. Such a pet can be caught in the wild or purchased at a pet store.

And if you have not yet chosen a pet to match yourself, pay attention to the terrible tarantula - the hero of Hollywood horror films, or his eternal enemy - the scorpion.

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Praying Mantis Housing

The most convenient and affordable housing for a praying mantis is a terrarium. It is necessary to take into account the size by whether the individual is large or small. The fact is that the praying mantis still needs space to feel comfortable. But do not forget that these animals themselves catch the food that you present to them, respectively, in a large cage it will become more difficult to catch prey.

A photo. Hygrometer TA218A as a thermometer and moisture meter for the praying mantis.

To create a “home environment” for the praying mantis, it is worth purchasing various snags and branches, on which the insect will be able to spend its time and look out for prey.

Air temperature

As mentioned above, these parameters are very important, because the insect is exotic. They are used to certain temperatures. For example, for desert dwellers, it ranges from 28 to 40 degrees above zero. For tropical individuals - from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. You can create such conditions with the help of incandescent lamps, thermal mats and other gadgets, of which there are quite a lot now. Set up a thermometer to keep track of the readings. Temperatures may drop slightly at night. In no case do not put the terrarium under the sun's rays, it is necessary to artificial light. To watch the insect at night - you can buy a moonlight lamp.

Air humidity

Moisture is the second most important item for the praying mantis. To maintain it - you can spray the soil periodically. You can put a drinker, for example, a small cover with water, so that the animal cannot drown there. It probably doesn't take much effort. Just look at the hygrometer readings and find out how many times per week you need to humidify your home in order to prevent excessive proportions. This is important because otherwise you will create an environment for bacteria and mold to grow.

Mantis feeding

Small individuals are advised to feed as often as possible, they should always have food in the terrarium. For large praying mantises, 1-2 times a week is enough. Overeating can rupture the abdomen, so don't overdo it. The food of an insect should not exceed half of its body in size, otherwise the animal will be afraid and try to protect itself from its own food. The most common and affordable food for the praying mantis are flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, crickets, small bugs, or even lizards for large individuals. Do not pick up animals from the street or the forest because they can be carriers of some diseases. Praying mantises are cannibals, so it is not recommended to leave them alone with another praying mantis, much less exist. When breeding, you need to carefully monitor them.

Conclusion

As you can understand, the praying mantis will not take you much time and effort, there are not so many mandatory conditions that you need to adhere to. Even for humidity and temperature, it is worth buying a hygrometer and incandescent lamps once, and understanding how many times a week to spray the soil. The praying mantis is a very fragile insect, so if you pick it up, try to handle it carefully. It is a known fact that they love having their belly scratched, try it. If an animal bites your finger - do not make sudden movements, most likely the praying mantis took you for a victim, do not be afraid, their bite is not poisonous. If you take an animal out of its cage, remember that it has wings and will be able to fly away if there is an open window nearby. Follow this. Perhaps this is all the most important thing you need to know in order to start and keep a praying mantis. Follow all the rules, and your new friend will delight with his presence for as long as possible.

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What is undesirable to feed praying mantises:

Cricket (Gryllidae). By itself, the cricket is a harmless insect. If you caught him on the street, you can safely feed him. But the cultures sold in pet stores live on artificial feed, because of which harmful bacteria develop in the body of crickets. The immunity of praying mantises very often cannot cope with such an infection, and cases of cricket poisoning have been recorded not only among them. Many people (usually Sphodromantis mantis keepers) will try to confuse you and say that this is all nonsense. And you, of course, believe them, which you will regret. Why Sphodromantis? Yes, because they are one of the strongest praying mantises in the culture, which almost no infection takes (but the cricket can cope with them). By the way, people who breed crickets themselves claim that praying mantises live perfectly on it, but, as you understand, not a single good keeper is going to test their theories on their living creatures.

Cricket dust. This is a separate issue. Newborn crickets have not yet gained any rubbish in the body, so they are perfectly fed to the praying mantises of the first molts. But I will leave this kind of food here because it seems to me that it is completely useless. Dust is more expensive than Drosophila, does not multiply (ends in 3-4 days), requires separate feeding, is not juicy and nutrient-rich KO. That is, it is inferior to Drosophila in all respects.

Lionfish (Hermetia illucens). In addition to the cricket, there are a number of food animals that are not recommended for the praying mantis. This is, first of all, the Black Lion. Lionfly larvae serve as nutritious food for reptiles, so recently it can be increasingly seen in specialized stores. But do not be fooled: the flies themselves accumulate substances in the body that lead to the failure of the nervous system and the death of the praying mantis, which was recently proven by Sergei Pugaev, unfortunately, from his own experience. Feeding a lionfish is even worse than feeding a cricket and a maggot at the same time.

Turkmen cockroach (Shelfordella tartara). The second undesirable food object is the Turkmen cockroach. Its action on the digestive system of the praying mantis is similar to that of the cricket, although cases of administration are much less common. Moreover, the cockroach is deficient in nutrients, so even robust praying mantises that feed on uninfected cockroaches can shed poorly, and pregnant females often fail to ootheca. Feeding by Turkmens is permissible, but with the obligatory use of other feeds.

Red cockroach (Blattella germanica). Is it possible to catch an ordinary cockroach at home and feed it to a praying mantis? Not! The Prussians eat all sorts of muck and gain toxins from cockroach poison. Such food is not suitable for a praying mantis. However, there are people who have raised the culture of the Red cockroach and feed them well, the breeding cockroach will not pose a danger to the praying mantis. Do you just need it? If there is an escape from such a colony, after all, not only the praying mantis will have to catch cockroaches ...

Maggot and his friends. I would like to start the last item on the list with the words: “About boiling”. The fact is that in our time there are a lot of smart people who, under various pretexts, feed all sorts of rubbish to praying mantises. Let me, once again, specifically for them, list some foods that are strictly prohibited for use: maggot, bloodworm, worms, snails ... Do you understand the logic? Everything that the praying mantis does not normally eat in nature, he should not eat at your place. This is poison. Muchnik and zofobas, by the way, are also included in the list, like any larvae. They are too fatty, which at least disrupts the formation of ootheca in females and shortens their life. Yes, and more. Giving the praying mantis meat (raw, boiled, fried, rotten, your finger too) is IMPOSSIBLE. It simply will not be digested and will clog the digestive system.

Phew! I hope you are not confused, I tried to be more detailed. The ideal option is to combine 3-4 types of food and see who the praying mantis takes more willingly. But for most simple species, only Marble cockroaches are enough. Okay, let's assume that now you understand the issue of feeding the praying mantis, and we can go further.

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Conditions of detention

The main condition for keeping these very original-looking insects is the temperature, which must be at least 25 ° C. At low temperatures, heating pads should be used.

Lighting is also important for praying mantises, since they are characterized by a daily lifestyle. This is where special lamps come in handy.

How and what to feed the praying mantis

Praying mantis food should consist of meat. Sometimes these insects can even eat a small lizard. When compiling a diet for a praying mantis, it must be borne in mind that the insects that serve as food for it should not be large, otherwise the praying mantis may be frightened. It is enough to feed an adult individual once a week, not more often, as they are prone to overeating, which negatively affects the health of the praying mantis.

The praying mantis can be safely picked up, as this insect does not pose any danger to humans. But before you do this, you should make sure that he is peaceful and calm. No need to make sudden movements, make noise, otherwise the praying mantis may get scared and fall. These are extremely interesting insects that are curious to watch.

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In this section, we have collected and continue to collect the most frequently asked questions about praying mantises and their content. Highly recommended to all beginners and just curious.

Where do you get information about praying mantises/species/contents?
- All information on our resource is collected from our own experience. Therefore, the information obtained here may differ from your experience.

I want to have a praying mantis. What do I need to get started?
- Once you've decided to get a praying mantis, you should study the information on them and find a fairly easy-to-keep species - they are the best to start with. More complex species should be started after some experience. It is worth immediately finding a spacious and well-ventilated terrarium. To breed praying mantises, you will need several terrariums and containers, as many species cannot be kept in groups. Please read the terms and conditions carefully. It is also worth taking care of the availability of food in advance. You can find some species in our resource.

Where can I find species/terrarium information?
- Information on the maintenance of species can be found on our resource, or on the Internet. Information on terrariums - in.

What is the best food for praying mantises?
- Almost any insects are suitable for feeding praying mantises. The optimal food is cockroaches or flies. Crickets are not always the best food, especially for some species. Species that feed on flying insects in nature will readily eat them in captivity. Flies bred from maggots are excellent. Some species prefer ants.

How often to feed the praying mantis?
- It depends on the species and age. Young nymphs need to be fed more often. In general, the belly of the praying mantis should always be filled. However, the terrarium should not have many food insects in order to avoid stress. An adult praying mantis needs to be fed every 2-3 days.

If I release several food insects into the terrarium with a praying mantis at once, will they interfere with the praying mantis?
For some reason you shouldn't do that. Firstly, this is unnecessary stress, and secondly, some types of fodder insects (crickets, cockroaches) have well-developed jaws and they can damage the praying mantis during molting. In addition, there are cases when crickets ate ootheca carelessly released into the terrarium to the praying mantis.

How long can a praying mantis live without food?
- It depends on the species, age and conditions of detention. The older the praying mantis, the longer it can live without food. In addition, larger species can tolerate longer periods without food. For example, adults of Sphodromantis live quite well up to 2 weeks without any problems, after a good fattening. If you have to leave the praying mantis unattended for a long time, prepare it. The week before, start fattening the mantis, feeding it every day and very tightly. In addition, leave some food insects in his terrarium.

How long do praying mantises live?
- Depending on the type and conditions of detention. From 2 months to 1.5 years. Females live longer than males. The duration also depends on the temperature and the availability of food.

Which praying mantis is the largest/smallest?
- The largest mantis known today is Ischnomantis Gigas (16cm-18cm), the smallest is Bolbena hottentotta (1.5 cm).
In addition, the largest praying mantises are - Toxodera beieri 15 cm, Solygia sulcatifrons * 14 cm, Toxodera maxima 13-14 cm, Schizocephala bicornis 13 cm, Paratoxodera cornicollis 12-13 cm, Macromantis sp. 11-13 cm, Plistospilota guineensis* and Idolomantis diabolica* 10-12 cm, Heterochaeta strachani* 12 cm, Rhombodera fratricida 11-12 cm, Rhombodera basilis *, Hierodula grandis*/membranacea, Zoolea sp.* - 10 cm.
An asterisk indicates captive-bred species.

Is it possible to keep praying mantises together and what species?
- All praying mantises are predators, so when there is a lack of food, they will try to eat each other. Some species may co-exist more or less. Basically, this is the Empusiadae family, such as Gongylus gongylodes or Empusa Fasciata, as well as Phillocrania Paradoxa. Many species cannot be kept together due to their aggressiveness, but nymphs of most species can be kept up to L4 together if food is available.

Where can I buy a praying mantis?
- If you are interested in something, you can order a praying mantis on our resource in the sales section. Contact us for more information on the range of species.

Is it possible to keep a praying mantis right in the room, without a terrarium?
- Yes, some species may well live without a terrarium, especially without moving around. For example, females Sphodromantis, Hierodula, Mantis. They can be settled, for example, on houseplants. In this case, they should be given food regularly.

Do females lay ootheca without mating?
- Yes. After the final molt, eggs begin to be produced in the body of females. So, if mating does not occur, the female must still lay ootheca, as the eggs inside her abdomen begin to develop along with the final molt. Nothing will come out of this ootheca. Sometimes, when for some reason the female cannot lay off such an ootheca, she dies.

Are there species that reproduce partogenetically without the participation of a male?
- Yes, there are very few such species, but they exist. Brunneria borealis and Brunneria subaptera, in particular, are among them. This species has only females and all reproduce parthenogenetically. In addition, there is information that Miomantis Paykulii, Cilnia humeralis and Iris oratoria are also possible. But this is not a common phenomenon - as a result, a small number of extremely weak juveniles come out, most often such pilgrims die even before L4. There is no information for other types.

Is it necessary to mate females after each ootheca laying?
- Females can hold sperm for quite a long time after mating. One mating is enough for several ootheca. But, anyway, if possible, repeat the pairing. This is especially true for small species.

What can be used as decor in a terrarium?
- Live and artificial plants, twigs, sand can be used as decor, depending on the species and natural habitat.

Can praying mantises bite humans?
- Yes, in case of danger, praying mantises can try to bite or attack a person. Big praying mantises can scratch, no more

Are there poisonous praying mantises?
- Not.

The eyes of my praying mantis have changed color. Why?
- It could be either disease/age or night/dark adaptation. Many species change eye color in the late afternoon.

Do praying mantises need to drink?
“They don’t need to drink, as such. They can drink with food. During regular spraying with water, they receive moisture. They can also lick off drops of water after spraying.

How can I find out the gender of a praying mantis?
- Very simple. All information is in the relevant section. (temporarily under development)

How to properly mate praying mantises?
- All the necessary information is in the relevant section. (temporarily under development)

What does "Sp" mean (for example, Rhombodera Sp.) in the Latin name of the species?
- The abbreviation "Sp" is used when the exact name is not known. The abbreviation "Cp" is also often used, which means "possibly". For example, Rhombodera cf. basalis - this is used when it is impossible to say exactly what kind of species it means - Rhombodera, possibly basalis.

Why are some species missing from the resource?
- Our resource describes only our content experience. There is no information on species that we did not keep here.

If you have any other questions, please leave them in the comments.