Click the thumbnail photo below for a larger picture showing the direction a mantid cluster is typically laid in nature. It is not terribly important to hang them the same way in captivity, although it may facilitate an easier exit in dry or less than perfect conditions. The individual cells form a slight C-shaped curve. The C should be pointed with the opening down, so that it looks like this- n. Okay, that's the best letter I could find on the keyboard to illustrate the direction and it's very exaggerated. Another method is to feel the texture of the central (light-colored) band. Running your finger along the band, it should feel smooth from top to bottom and rough from bottom to top.  If this doesn't make sense, try it. You'll feel it (not all species' oothecae exhibit this textural characteristic). I recommend hanging the ootheca at an angle (somewhere between 45 and 90 degrees, is best) with the band facing down. Gravity will aid the hatching nymphs. Note: many mantis species have ootheca that are so unusual in shape and structure that it is impossible to know what direction to hang it. Even within a single species shape and size are variable.

 For young hatchlings (also called nymphs) as well as juveniles and adults, I put paper towel down on the bottom, and wet it moderately, although various other water-retaining substrates are effective. Coconut fiber substrate is ideal for well-ventilated cages. Temperature and ventilation will affect how long it takes for the paper to dry.  In the interest of convenience, about 2-3 days should be the goal for how long before you need to mist again (as well as feed). Now, you don't want so much water vapor in there that it is collecting and remaining on the sides. Too much humidity/not enough ventilation can greatly promote the growth of mold on any remaining food particles, mantid-waste, and other organics. 

 I like to provide as much ventilation as possible for my mantids, but the trick is to keep the humidity up, so cross-ventilation is a key factor.  I drill about eight 1/8 inch holes in them on differing sides to provide cross-ventilation.  I also put a piece of plastic screen, etc. along at least one "side" of the vial. It should scale the entire height of the vial, so that the mantid will find it when it is ready to molt.  You'll probably find that the mantid spends most of its time here though anyway.

 Also, I recommend feeding the mantids as much of a variety of foods as is possible. Flying insects are preferred, although I don't advocate feeding mantids other environmentally beneficial insects, like bees. Crickets are ok, but I'd be careful with them. Ants, especially in numbers, can bite and damage mantises. Pet store crickets should be transferred to a healthy diet for at least 48 hours, before feeding to your mantids. It's not terribly important, but a mantis is what it eats! After many years in being an informationial resource for the mantis hobby, I do feel it necessary to state what may or may not be obvious....mantises require "live" foods! They will not eat something unless it is moving. Additionally, the prey item (also called a "feeder" or "feeder insect") must be the appropriate size. If you look at the forelegs of your mantis (the front, grasping "arms"), it should help you gauge the appropriate prey-size. The mantis must be able to hold the prey in its arms. There is a little room for error in this theory, as mantises will often take down prey smaller and/or larger than their "ideal" prey, but you will learn this through experience.

Ideally the mantid's abdomen will usually look quite plump, but not to the point of bursting. Never feed the mantid more than 2 proportionately sized crickets at a time.  When it is plump, be careful not to feed again, as your mantid is possibly near its time of molting, and could be damaged during this sensitive time by uneaten feeder insects. A few days prior to molting, the mantis will stop eating and may appear "skinnier" and "hungry". This is not the case. This helps to reduce its size just a bit, before it sheds its old skin. You might notice that your mantis "bats" at prey to scare it away. It is imperative that you remove all feeder insects if you suspect your mantis is about to molt/shed. Uneaten feeders, especially crickets, will either eat the soft-skinned mantis or knock it down from it's molting-perch (the process of molting is a very vulnerable time). It is recommended that you don't even tough the cage, for fear that the mantis might not have set its foot-holds well enough.

 Breeding:

 Breeding mantids is probably the most difficult part of raising them.  It is a well-known fact that the female will often make a meal of the male.  It is true that the male can complete copulation without the presence of his head, the female sometimes making a snack of it!  However, I’m always very careful to protect my male if the female does not appear receptive to him.

 After the female has been mature for a few weeks, introduce HER to the MALE’S cage. He will already have his perch staked out, and she may not even see him.  He’ll be waiting and ready though, sensitive to any movement in his habitat. Ideally, you will have enough room to get your hands in there, to intervene, should the situation “get ugly”.

 Prior to introducing them feed the mantids (especially the female) up very thoroughly. Her abdomen should be quite plump before you introduce her to the male. Often, I will put her in his cage while she is still eating! This is an excellent way to distract her, and to keep her from grabbing him. 

 Okay, so she’s in with him now. I usually arm myself with a nice pair of forceps and a dull toothpick or stick. In the event of an attack by her, it is imperative that you act very quickly! If she has the chance to sink her mandibles into him, it may already be too late. Open wounds usually mean death for a mantid. However, if she is only just gripping him, you can carefully (3 hands work much better than 2!) pry them apart. Wait a few days before introducing them again. I might even take the female into another part of the house, or outside, in the hopes that there will be no exchange of pheromones (and possibly over-saturation...so the theory goes).

 Mating seems to last anywhere from ½ hr. to 6 hrs, although I’ve heard of a males remaining on females’ backs for days.  I always choose to separate the male when the act is done. Otherwise, he will inevitably become a meal.

 If your mantises seem disinterested in each other and if the female doesn't appear annoyed or aggressive towards the male, you might eventually choose to leave them together for a few days (or more). While it is comforting to visually confirm that your mantises have mated, we don't always get that opportunity.

 Now, if a female does not have access to a male, she will often produce a non-viable ootheca (an unfertilzed egg case- i.e. a "dud"). A few species of mantids are parthenogenetic, like Brunneria borealis of the Southern USA. This means that females can actually produce viable oothecae, although the offspring will essentially be clones of the mother and no males will be present. 

 If a female has already begun to produce an ootheca within her, but has not yet begun to lay it, a late arriving male will still be able to fertilize her eggs. After mating, it may take from a day to several weeks before she lays the ootheca, depending on whether she was preparing one within her already and whether she has eaten enough.

Troubleshooting:

Various, familiar problems sometimes occur with our pet mantises. Most of these are preventable, but not always.

Molting problems are the leading cause of preventable death for most pet mantises. Please read the topics above for information on prevention of issues during that process where the mantises shed their skin / exoskeleton.

One issue that is common is the sudden appearance of a black liquid on the walls of your pet's habitat. This is fairly rare, but almost always results in death. Theories on the source of why a mantis will sometimes get sick include bacterial infection. This may be prevented with regular changes of substrate and removal of left over parts of feeder insects.

If your pet mantises experience any kind of problems, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you promptly.

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