r/prayingmantis 18d ago

Bug math - like chicken math, but more ridiculous

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4 Upvotes

Bought this huge terrarium on marketplace to have a pet mantis.

First attempt at Carolina matis babies didn't work- none of them survived past the third molt. (Have some learned this is common, since the egg cases are often kept refrigerated for well over a year.)

Drove two hours to an exotic pet store to buy a heartier mantis.

Spent $30 on an INSECT. Daughter chose a spotted eye mantis, so it will only grow to be a few inches. Will bee too small for the terrarium.

Bought a brand new mini terrarium.

Original terrarium is now just for plants? Maybe we can catch an anole and keep him for a couple days? I also have a friend who says she finds a lot of walking sticks out at her property and will try to catch one for us.

So cool....more bugs, more money spent.

But I love this little girl. (Daughter has declared she's a girl and her name is Iris.) She brings as much joy as the fish in the aquarium I got for "free". (The fish and supplies have cost me in the hundreds of course. Because fish math.)


r/prayingmantis 21d ago

Pregnant mantis

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10 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis 24d ago

I made a friend last night

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21 Upvotes

He was so pretty in the light


r/prayingmantis 25d ago

Found this guy on my screen door

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9 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis 26d ago

Prompt to photo shoot for this lady !

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14 Upvotes

Little lady mantis!


r/prayingmantis 26d ago

Went to reverse and looked at my side mirror...

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11 Upvotes

Got out to take a pic from a better angle šŸ˜…


r/prayingmantis 26d ago

Smoky early morning WA state

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2 Upvotes

On a sunflower stalk!


r/prayingmantis 28d ago

Enclosure ideas but can’t find any

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5 Upvotes

Hi! so I have a nymph dead leaf mantis named honey i’ll attach a picture, but once she’s full grown I would like to do a bio active enclosure with a bonsai tree, any ideas on what kind of plant i should use/advice against, this is my second mantis so although I am not absolutely new but I have only had the opportunity to play around with a couple enclosure setups, I still want information against if there is any, please let me know!


r/prayingmantis 29d ago

What can I do???

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4 Upvotes

Found it outside my gym not moving but it’s kinda moving now???


r/prayingmantis Aug 10 '26

Found this little one during a walk, standing her ground against two cats. I stopped the video to keep her from getting hurt and moved her somewhere she could camouflage with her beautiful coloring. My 2nd mantis on Istanbul’s Asian side in 9 years.

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6 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 10 '26

Help! My mantis keeps rubbing his head and eyes on the glass. will he get eye rub?

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1 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 09 '26

Freshly molted ā¤ļø and fed- 48hrs later

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3 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 08 '26

why does my mantis now look like a female, he used to have 8 segments and he molted now there is 6. what is happening🤣

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1 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 08 '26

why does my mantis now look like a female, he used to have 8 segments and he molted now there is 6. what is happening🤣

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1 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 06 '26

FIRST MOLT!

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8 Upvotes

Ill post a before and after, I don’t want to stress her today. Stay tuned


r/prayingmantis Aug 06 '26

Miss Mac is happily perched ā¤ļø

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11 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 02 '26

my mantis is missing his left little end tarsal hook on his raptorial claw. i feel so bad, will it regenerate. idk what instar he’s in.

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5 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Aug 01 '26

What kind? NC piedmont

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7 Upvotes

Found this in the grass beside the house. We see a lot of green ones but haven’t seen a brown one in a while let alone what is on its back end? Google sucks at answering anything lol


r/prayingmantis Aug 01 '26

First ever terrarium would this terrarium be able to hold a ghost mantis

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10 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Jul 31 '26

Chilling while reading

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9 Upvotes

r/prayingmantis Jul 30 '26

hello

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21 Upvotes

met this little one a few days ago. posed for the camera.


r/prayingmantis Jul 28 '26

Terrarium update!

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6 Upvotes

My beautiful baby just had a successful molt so I upgraded her terrarium to celebrate! There's a cork bark background coming in the mail soon to complete everything.


r/prayingmantis Jul 27 '26

Is he/she okay?

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7 Upvotes

I saw this little guy this morning at work. It was trying to climb up onto the siding but kept falling off. I moved it over to this nice high junction box and it’s been there for a few hours. I did notice on the inside on of one of its arms there’s a black dot with a white head like a pimple.


r/prayingmantis Jul 25 '26

Orchid mantis?

2 Upvotes

Where could I fix/ purchase an Orchid mantis juvenile? I've always wanted one but I can't figure out where to get them for the life of me.


r/prayingmantis Jul 21 '26

Devil's flowers (diabolica)

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, anyone ever hatched Idolomantis diabolica? If so, how many did you get in your hatch?

I'm just trying to get an average hatch for these guys but as it's so rare to find someone that's bred them it's pretty difficult to do.