Questions you wanted to ask but was too afraid they would sound dumb.

 

Q. Does my mantis need a water bowl?

A. No. Mantis drink dew from leaves and plant stems in the wild so a fine mist spray used daily will allow your pet to drink from the sides of their enclosure or decoration.

 

Q. Will my mantis eat vegetation?

A. No, praying mantis are mostly insectivores, but some larger species have been know to tackle small lizards, frogs, snakes and even small rodents and birds in the wild. Wild mantis have also been discovered fishing at the edge of shallow bodies of water.

 

Q. Can my mantis see me?

A. Yes, mantis have excellent eye sight and most species can see 8 metres or more, similar to jumping spiders. Sadly, it is thought that they can't recognise different people, but this has yet to be proved.

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Q. Can my mantis eat honey?

A. Technically, yes, in tiny amounts on rare occasions. Mantis are obligate carnivores and can digest complex sugars which can be harmful. Avoid them.

 

Q. Can praying mantis fly?

A. The short answer is that it depends on the species and the sex of your mantis. Males generally are capable of flight, or at least gliding with style. Females of larger species just don't have the wing span to get off the ground and will only use their wings to threaten or to slow down a fall from height. Males & females of smaller species are normally quite good flyers which is something to take into account when handling an adult mantis.

 

Q. How long will my mantis live?

A. This is another question that is dependent on species, sex, temperature and protein intake. The lifespan of an insect depends on their metabolism and that depends on the temperature and food supply. You will see many different numbers for this question from 1 year to 18 months on average but the true answer is that you can't be sure. Some smaller species like male orchid mantis, for instance have quite short lifespans even if their food is limited and temperature lowered, where as Deroplatys species tend to live much longer and it's not unusual for them to hit two years of age if temperatures and food is controlled.

 

Q. Can I use a sponge for my mantids water?

A. No, please see the first question for the answer.

 

Q. Do I need to dust their food with calcium?

A. No, praying mantis get all their calcium from their food. If too much calcium is supplied then issues with moults can occur, this is also an issue with spiders and many other predator arthropods.

 

Q. Is sand a good substrate?

A. Not really. Sand isn't very good at capturing moisture and most sands (except for play sand) have traces of lime in them. Sand can also irritate the mantis by sticking to its feet and legs and if you've ever had sand in naughty places you will know how annoying it can be. Avoid it.

 

Q. Can they have fruit?

A. Mantis have been seen drinking from fruit in the wild but it's not part of their diet. Fibres and complex sugars in fruits can not be digested by mantis and they will cause digestion issues and possibly death.

 

Q. Does my mantis love me?

A. Yes! Is the answer we would all love to hear, but in reality you're nothing more than up. Your pet will love you as must as you think it does, but just like cats and many other animals we keep as pets it doesn't (I still prefer to think they do).

 

Q. Can I use a jar to keep mantids?

A. A mason jar can be used for mantis nymphs if provided with a way to climb to the top and has a mesh lid. Of course, a specifically designed enclosure is a much better option, but a jar can be used as a temporary home.

 

Q. Do they like to be handled?

A. It's not a question of liking or not. They do like to climb upwards and you are just another way to get there. They will happily come to you or sit on your hand for hours if that's what they want to do.

 

Q. Are they good with dogs/cats?

A. Dogs and cats are predators that are curious and interested in movement. Even if you have the most placid dog and believe it would never hurt a fly it is still capable of squishing your mantis, on purpose or not. Cats will actively hunt your mantis and kill it because cats run fully on instinct rather than intelligence or emotion.

 

Q. Can I take my mantis outside?

A. If you live in a place like I do then taking a mantis outside means twice a year on those days when it gets over 25C. I have taken some adult females out into the garden for brief periods to photograph due to better lighting from daylight, but leaving them to there unsupervised puts them at risk from birds, cats, squirrels and other predators. It also adds the chance of the mantis walking off and getting lost.

 

Q. What heating do I need if anything?

A. For most species a standard temperature of 25C is suggested to keep your mantis active and happy. If you can't provide this day time temperature for your mantis then it's time to look for another pet that suits you better.

 

Q. Can I breed two different species?

A. No.

 

Q. Can they breed together if they're from the same Ooth?

A. Yes. Arthropods are unaffected by breeding with relations. Base DNA is transferred via mating but it does not suffer from degradation as it does with mammals. Parthenogenic species are clones of their mothers and do not require a mate to reproduce. 

 

Q. My mantis has been alone all her life and had laid an ooth, is it fertile?

A. No, all females will lay oothecae if they're mated or not. Note: There are several species that are capable of parthenogenic conception. 

 

Q. What can I do with infertile ooths?

A. Infertile ooths can be left where they are and used as decoration, removed and fed to isopods/ roaches, or rodents, or can be simply be thrown away.

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Q. What is an ooth?

A. The term "ooth" is used within the hobby to describe the eggsac of a praying mantis or cockroach - ooth is the short form of oothecae (plural), ootheca (singular)

 

Q. What do mantis smell of?

A. Praying mantis do not have a detectable scent that can be picked up by humans.

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Q. Do mantis pee?

A. Sort of? Not the way we consider urination. They can, from time to time, expel liquids via their anal cavity. This is not urination, but simply a way to remove excess water from their body. They have no urinary system and do not require one.

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Q. How do praying mantis poop?

A. Exactly the same as you do. Mantis poop is expelled as a dry solid pellet, that can, but rarely contain liquid depending on the level of nutrients in their food. It also has the added bonus of having no scent.

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Q. Is it easy to breed praying mantis?

A. Not particularly. The myth of the females eating the males head during mating is partially correct, but mostly wrong. 30% of females will eat the male during or after, and sometimes even before mating in the wild. In captivity this dramatically rises to around 70%. This alone makes pairing them not for the nervous. If you suffer from anxiety or have no patience then I would stick to keeping them as pets.

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Q. Is Google a good resource for information?

A. No, it's probably one of the worst resources you can use. Speak to a reputable breeder, hopefully the one that supplied you with your mantis in the first place.

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Q I bought my mantis from a pet shop and they said...

A. Unless the pet shop breeds praying mantis themselves, or keeps numerous species as pets then ignoring everything they tell you is usually for the best. Seek out a reputable breeder or someone that specialises is mantis to answer your questions and give you help and advice.

 

This Q & A could not be made without your "stupid questions" so, please, keep asking them so I can expand on it.