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Does Anyone keep Ghost Mantids?


CO129197

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

hey

do you know anything of its background (such as was it off a breeder or wild collected) as even females that haven't been bred lay ooths but are infertile

if it is fertile it should take 5-6 weeks to hatch(but i have heard of upto 9 weeks in some cases)...you seem to be keeping humidity up well by spray it and me personally keep mine at 82-84f

other than that have few cultures of fruit flies ready as they do pack it away as nymphs haha

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i culture flightless fruit flies(really easy to do and in time youll have ready supply if decide to expand your collection) so just tap them into each mantis tub(well nymphs) i find it easier to culture fruitflies than crickets,

for larger mantids i feed bluebottle,green bottle and houseflies along with feeding them turkistan roaches etc (variety of foods always works well ive found)

ghosts are amazing mantids,best of luck with your mantids

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When I only need a few flies:

I usually have a hole cut into the top or side of the mantid's enclosures that I plug up with a sponge or cottonball. Also, the same size hole in the ff container. I use a vial that fits into the holes for transferring a small amount of flies. I wrap a rubberband or small hair tie around the vial to form a seal against the ff container when it is put in.

Depending on the enclosure, and mantids' willingness to stay put, I can sometimes just open the containers and tap flies in if the mantids are in a large container and need alot of flies.

Funnels work good too, but I haven't had the need for them.

No matter which way it is done, constant tapping on the ff container usually keeps the little flies falling down, so hoards of them won't be coming up and out. :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not sure if it is the same for the Gongylus I dealt with as these...but I think sexing can be done by counting the number of segments their abdomen has for quite a few species. As for male/female having more...I dont remember, lol. Try checking over here. :)

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Ghost males have eight segments and females have six. These are viewed from the underside of the abdomen, beginning just past the point where the hind pair of legs attach to the thorax. It is easier to distinguish nymphs of this species by looking for the longer, twistier "horn" on the males' heads. Females, young and old, have a shorter, stouter horn.

Lots of dud oothecae in this species, in my experience, even when fertilization seems guaranteed.

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So I've noticed with the ooths! Kinda bums me out too...I was given a sub adult, probably L3 or 4, and a TON of nymphs that are just starting to molt...I can't keep fruit flies around long enough for them either! They are a bunch of little pigs!

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