The eggs are produced in an eggcase called an ootheca this may produce 30 to 300 young mantids depending on the species. The male should be removed as soon as mating has finished. Mating may last a day or more so it is a good idea to keep the cage supplied with food so the female can eat while mating. Mating may occur immediately or it may take the male a day or so to make his approach. It is advisable to use a large cage for the mating and feeding them well beforehand is essential otherwise the female will eat the male. Both should be fed as much as they will eat for several days before the male is introduced to the female's cage. Sexing mantids is difficult when they are small but fairly easy when adult, eight segments can be counted on the underside of the abdomen of a male and six on that of the female (in some species the end segments are difficult to see and only seven or five may be counted).Īfter two or three weeks as adults the mantids can be mated. Humidity is very important when mantids moult but large amounts of water droplets should be avoided as smaller mantids can become trapped and drown.

Spraying the cage once a day with fresh, clean water will provide the mantis with water and will also raise the humidity of the enclosure. The temperature should be kept as constant as possible and this can be achieved using a heat mat and thermostat. Many Praying mantids are from tropical origins and therefore need to be kept warm, as a general rule 20☌ to 25☌ will be ideal. As the mantid grows it should be moved to larger containers.

As a result mantids need to be kept in tall cages. As a result it is very important that the distance from the top of the branch to the floor must be at least four times the length of the insect. Whatever type of cage is used a stick or branch should be provided for the insect to hang from when it sheds its skin. Mantids can be kept in a variety of containers but many keepers use plastic fish tanks (these can be positioned vertically to provide a tall enclosure). Many species are very aggressive towards each other and if kept in groups they will eat each other especially as one or two become slightly larger than their brothers and sisters. If you keep live food for your mantid then you should also ensure that the live food is kept in appropriate conditions (adequate space, correct temperature and humidity and access to food and water). However, you should make sure that any insects that are not eaten (especially grasshoppers, crickets and cockroaches) do not chew the legs or wings of your mantid.

Some species will happily tackle prey as large as themselves. They do well if supplied with as much food as they can eat although they can last quite a while without food.Īs they grow they can be given larger prey, almost any insects (for example, blue bottle flies, grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches) will be eaten. Young mantids should be fed on fruit flies ( Drosophila sp.), aphids or other small insects. Like their relatives the mantids undergo simple or incomplete metamorphosis they do not have a maggot or caterpillar but go through several stages all of which look like miniature, wingless adults. Their closest relatives are the stick insects, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Most mantids are from tropical countries although a few do occur in cooler climates. The Mantids are a group of 1,800 carnivorous insects (Order: Mantodea). Photograph by OpenCage licensed under Creative Commons. A Praying Mantis ( Hierodula patellifera) in typical 'praying' posture.

Praying mantis prey