One USDA approved Chinese Praying Mantis Nymph
SKU:
223
$6.50
$6.50
Unavailable
per item
ONE USDA/APHIS APPROVED CHINESE PRAYING MANTIS for your home or garden (if you want more than one I do COMBINed shipping)
We will send you 2 for each 1 you order in case one dies during shipment. Both will most likely be fine when you receive them so you'll have double the fun!. Please have food on hand when your babies arrive. We recommend the d. melanogaster wingless fruit flies, the d. hydei flightless fruit flies or both
The Chinese mantis, also known by the scientific name Tenodera sinensis is a species of praying mantis. These insects, having their origins in China were first introduced in North America in the late 1800s to be used for controlling pests. These insects can be found in gardens and meadows on flowers, tall plants, bushes or shrubs. In Chinese culture also, this creature has great prominence. The praying mantis kung fu, which originated in the Shandong province of China, is a form of martial art that derives its styles based on the rapid movements and skills of the Chinese mantis. Those of you who might have watched the movie, Kung Fu Panda (1 and 2) would surely remember Master Mantis, one of the Furious Five members.
Appearance
The Chinese mantis is a long and slender praying mantis, usually seen in different shades of brown, pale green or a combination of both. It is larger in size when compared to the other mantises. In fact it is the largest species of praying mantis in North America growing up to a length of about 10 cm. Both sexes have wings that extend over the abdomen with a green color running along the sides of both wings. Males and females can be told apart by checking the number of segments on the abdomen. You will notice that the male has 8 segments while the female has 6 or 7. The Chinese mantis can turn its head 180 degrees and scan the surroundings behind them. They also have a long antenna. Like all other praying mantis, the female mantis is slightly larger than the male.
Behavior
The Chinese mantis is normally docile in nature. They can sit motionless for several hours, all the while observing carefully for the slightest movement . These insects wait for their prey to come close by. Once they notice their prey sufficiently near, they quickly grab the prey with their forelegs. The females have the bad reputation of killing and eating the males during or after the mating process, a phenomenon referred to as sexual cannibalism. Although these creatures are ferocious predators to insects, they are generally harmless to humans. The Chinese mantis exhibits excellent camouflage skills that help the insect to blend with the surroundings, unseen by the predators and preys alike. The following pictures show how well the color of the mantis merges together with the background.
Environmental conditions
Although, the Chinese mantis does not require special conditions, they do best in temperatures of about 20-25 degree Celsius and humidity of about 60 to 65%. The temperature can be increased to 30 degrees Celsius, if you want to speed up their rate of growth. In order to avoid any problems with shedding of the skin (molting), it would be a good idea to spray the enclosure 2 or 3 times a week.
Housing
The Chinese mantis, being somewhat a long mantis would require an enclosure that is fairly large. It would be ideal to keep the mantis in a container which is 3 to 4 times its body length. Take for instance the case of a mantis which is one inch long. The perfect enclosure for this mantis would be a 3x3x3 inch container. Too small a cage can interfere with the proper development of the insect and hence choosing a right sized cage is crucial. The enclosure can be covered with a net or mesh lid. The mantis undergoes molting a couple of times and during this process it hangs upside down. So it is important to provide twigs or branches propped up against the walls of the cage. Providing leaves, twigs, logs and fake or real plants inside the enclosure will help to replicate the creature's natural habitat. To maintain the proper humidity levels inside the enclosure, take care to spay the walls once a day. Similar to the other mantids, the Chinese mantis is also highly cannibalistic and so should not be group housed.
Feeding habits
The small mantids generally feed on small insects like flies whereas larger mantids feed on caterpillars, butterflies, moths, flies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, locusts, crickets, bees, wasps, beetles and spiders. Adult female Chinese mantis has been known to eat amphibians, small reptiles, and even small birds. While offering food to your pet mantis, do take care to avoid prey that is too large for the mantis to catch and eat. There have been several instances where pet mantises have been eaten by the live prey. So you would definitely want to avoid such horrible incidents happening to your pet. For the first few weeks the mantises should be fed once daily and after that they can be fed once every two days.
Life cycle
After mating the female lays her eggs in a foamy mass which hardens to become the egg case or ootheca. The ootheca protects the eggs through winter and from potential predators. The Young mantids or nymphs emerge during spring and they immediately start feeding, sometimes on their siblings. They continue to eat and grow all summer. As they grow, they shed their outer skins many times, a process known as molting. The Chinese mantis has a life span of about 12 months.
The female mantis can produce many ootheca that are almost the size of a ping-pong ball. The ootheca, containing about 200 eggs, is usually attached to small twigs, bushes or small trees as seen in the picture below.
Conclusion
The Chinese mantis is one of the most popular species of mantises kept as pets. They make exceptionally great pets because they are easy to look after and less demanding. They only require to be fed once every other day and as for the water needs, you only need to mist the container once in two days. The only downside to keeping a pet mantis is that it does not live beyond a year. Since these insects help to control pest insects, they are very much appreciated by farmers and gardeners. The mantis egg sacs or ootheca are available in garden centers. Farmers buy these egg cases and place them in their gardens. Upon hatching, the mantis, with its voracious appetite will catch whatever insects that may come its way. In this way, not only do they make great pets but also are very helpful to people
We will send you 2 for each 1 you order in case one dies during shipment. Both will most likely be fine when you receive them so you'll have double the fun!. Please have food on hand when your babies arrive. We recommend the d. melanogaster wingless fruit flies, the d. hydei flightless fruit flies or both
The Chinese mantis, also known by the scientific name Tenodera sinensis is a species of praying mantis. These insects, having their origins in China were first introduced in North America in the late 1800s to be used for controlling pests. These insects can be found in gardens and meadows on flowers, tall plants, bushes or shrubs. In Chinese culture also, this creature has great prominence. The praying mantis kung fu, which originated in the Shandong province of China, is a form of martial art that derives its styles based on the rapid movements and skills of the Chinese mantis. Those of you who might have watched the movie, Kung Fu Panda (1 and 2) would surely remember Master Mantis, one of the Furious Five members.
Appearance
The Chinese mantis is a long and slender praying mantis, usually seen in different shades of brown, pale green or a combination of both. It is larger in size when compared to the other mantises. In fact it is the largest species of praying mantis in North America growing up to a length of about 10 cm. Both sexes have wings that extend over the abdomen with a green color running along the sides of both wings. Males and females can be told apart by checking the number of segments on the abdomen. You will notice that the male has 8 segments while the female has 6 or 7. The Chinese mantis can turn its head 180 degrees and scan the surroundings behind them. They also have a long antenna. Like all other praying mantis, the female mantis is slightly larger than the male.
Behavior
The Chinese mantis is normally docile in nature. They can sit motionless for several hours, all the while observing carefully for the slightest movement . These insects wait for their prey to come close by. Once they notice their prey sufficiently near, they quickly grab the prey with their forelegs. The females have the bad reputation of killing and eating the males during or after the mating process, a phenomenon referred to as sexual cannibalism. Although these creatures are ferocious predators to insects, they are generally harmless to humans. The Chinese mantis exhibits excellent camouflage skills that help the insect to blend with the surroundings, unseen by the predators and preys alike. The following pictures show how well the color of the mantis merges together with the background.
Environmental conditions
Although, the Chinese mantis does not require special conditions, they do best in temperatures of about 20-25 degree Celsius and humidity of about 60 to 65%. The temperature can be increased to 30 degrees Celsius, if you want to speed up their rate of growth. In order to avoid any problems with shedding of the skin (molting), it would be a good idea to spray the enclosure 2 or 3 times a week.
Housing
The Chinese mantis, being somewhat a long mantis would require an enclosure that is fairly large. It would be ideal to keep the mantis in a container which is 3 to 4 times its body length. Take for instance the case of a mantis which is one inch long. The perfect enclosure for this mantis would be a 3x3x3 inch container. Too small a cage can interfere with the proper development of the insect and hence choosing a right sized cage is crucial. The enclosure can be covered with a net or mesh lid. The mantis undergoes molting a couple of times and during this process it hangs upside down. So it is important to provide twigs or branches propped up against the walls of the cage. Providing leaves, twigs, logs and fake or real plants inside the enclosure will help to replicate the creature's natural habitat. To maintain the proper humidity levels inside the enclosure, take care to spay the walls once a day. Similar to the other mantids, the Chinese mantis is also highly cannibalistic and so should not be group housed.
Feeding habits
The small mantids generally feed on small insects like flies whereas larger mantids feed on caterpillars, butterflies, moths, flies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, locusts, crickets, bees, wasps, beetles and spiders. Adult female Chinese mantis has been known to eat amphibians, small reptiles, and even small birds. While offering food to your pet mantis, do take care to avoid prey that is too large for the mantis to catch and eat. There have been several instances where pet mantises have been eaten by the live prey. So you would definitely want to avoid such horrible incidents happening to your pet. For the first few weeks the mantises should be fed once daily and after that they can be fed once every two days.
Life cycle
After mating the female lays her eggs in a foamy mass which hardens to become the egg case or ootheca. The ootheca protects the eggs through winter and from potential predators. The Young mantids or nymphs emerge during spring and they immediately start feeding, sometimes on their siblings. They continue to eat and grow all summer. As they grow, they shed their outer skins many times, a process known as molting. The Chinese mantis has a life span of about 12 months.
The female mantis can produce many ootheca that are almost the size of a ping-pong ball. The ootheca, containing about 200 eggs, is usually attached to small twigs, bushes or small trees as seen in the picture below.
Conclusion
The Chinese mantis is one of the most popular species of mantises kept as pets. They make exceptionally great pets because they are easy to look after and less demanding. They only require to be fed once every other day and as for the water needs, you only need to mist the container once in two days. The only downside to keeping a pet mantis is that it does not live beyond a year. Since these insects help to control pest insects, they are very much appreciated by farmers and gardeners. The mantis egg sacs or ootheca are available in garden centers. Farmers buy these egg cases and place them in their gardens. Upon hatching, the mantis, with its voracious appetite will catch whatever insects that may come its way. In this way, not only do they make great pets but also are very helpful to people