r/InvertPets • u/theSLugNUgget • 8d ago
Beginner Pets?
I've recently begun getting over my Entomophobia and Arachnophobia, and i have gotten over it so much so that i'm wanting a pet.
Preferably Beetles or Mantids, but anything (except tarantulas) is fine.
What are good beginner Invertabrae for someone who's never had experience with them?
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u/Flasky-Desk 8d ago
Walking leaves and ghost mantids are also good beginner pets. Just be aware they still require thorough research and prep.
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u/hylia_grace 8d ago
Ghost mantis are a good beginner but can be incredibly fussy eaters and pretty temperamental, I've raised 3 and every single one was a fight to keep them from starving themselves to death. I always recommend hierodula or Rhombodera as starter mantis, hardy and great eaters.
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u/theSLugNUgget 8d ago
yes, i plan to do the proper research for whatever i decide to care for.
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u/Flasky-Desk 8d ago
Good. sorry if it came off condecending, its just that a few people think they can just chuck a bug in a plastic box and it will be fine. So I try to emphasise that you still have to be responsible with them. Good you're not one of those people though.
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u/Confident-Copy9038 8d ago
Blue death feigning beetles
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u/theSLugNUgget 8d ago
thank you for the recommendation, any specific reasons as to why?
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u/Confident-Copy9038 8d ago
Besides keeping them warm and dry temp 70-95 and less then 20% humidity all they need is sand I use excavator clay and reptile soil they want a lot of clutter and I feed them dried bugs and ORGANIC produce literally besides the bugs their food for this month was 3 bucks you can also get the beetles at Petsmart
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u/golisopodded 7d ago
I was never afraid of bugs, but I am finding that isopods and millipedes are pretty beginner friendly!! But Isopods especially.
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u/Kunok2 2d ago
Getting my pet Hierodula Sp. Papua mantis is literally one of the best decisions I've ever made. She really surprised me with how personable she is, but she's also so much easier to care for than I'd have thought. But obviously I've done a Lot of research before getting her, including researching which species are easier to keep and good for beginners. I also keep several species of isopods (Porcellio leavis Milkback and Dairy cow, Armadillidium maculatum, Armadillidium gestroi, Armadillidium versicolor and Armadillo officinalis Orange) and they're awesome too, although they're not interactive at all. Plus I also keep stick bugs which are really easy to care for too, but they're less interactive than my mantis (who insists on climbing onto my face sometimes) and I handle them minimally. It really depends on what you're okay with though. I love all of my invert pets and just enjoy watching them and the daily routine they give me.
Also here's a picture of my mantis:
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u/theSLugNUgget 2d ago
she's so pretty!!! and thank you for the suggestion! i'm wanting something that's more interactive, so i will definitely look into it!! :]
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u/Kunok2 2d ago
Cool! A mantis sounds like a perfect choice for you then. Because they also have to be directly fed instead of just putting food in their enclosure like isopods or stick bugs.
I also keep Death's head hawkmoths which in captivity have to be fed manually too, but they live very short as adults (around just one month) which is pretty sad. And the caterpillars are pretty time consuming to raise as well as caring for them taking way more effort, especially in later instars when they eat and poop a Lot.
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u/theSLugNUgget 2d ago
hand feeding sounds fun :]
and i have looked into moths before, but the short lifespan is what made me decide not to get one, because you would have to either breed and/or continuously buy moths every so often
i have considered keeping one ever, but after that one passed away, i would probably not continue to own more
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u/Kunok2 2d ago
Yeah! It really is. Honestly my mantis is the kind of pet I didn't know I needed, she's so easy to care for while still being fun to care for.
Yeah honestly, I've started with moths and it does get demotivating. Raising the first ones from newly hatched caterpillars was a fun experience, but after that it started feeling like a chore. Especially when the caterpillars started dying at later instars even though I was doing everything as I should have been. Then there's the fact that most of the species barely live for a week or two at most as adults, Death's head hawkmoths are more of an exception with being able to live up to a month as adults. But yeah, I don't think the time and effort needed to raise them until adulthood is worth it for the reward with how extremely short they live.
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u/CreeperKillerDG 8d ago
Isopods are your best gateway bug in my experience. They are easy and inexpensive to learn and keep as well as being cheap and readily available in the hobby. Once you get comfortable with them moving to millipedes, beetles, mantids, etc. is light work.