Small-Life Supplies for stick insects (Phasmids), insect cages and mantids
Mantid (praying mantis) Care Sheet
FEEDING
Ghana Mantid Mantids eat living insects and do best on a varied diet.
  • Newly hatched mantids eat each other, the stronger wiping out the weaker. The surviving mantids do well on aphids, greenfly, whitefly, blackfly and small fruitflies.
  • Medium-sized mantids can eat insects larger than themselves. Suitable food includes: caterpillars, flies (such as houseflies, bluebottle flies, greenbottle flies and cluster- flies), moths, and sub-standard stick insects (ones that have lost legs) of certain species.
  • Adult mantids can eat insects larger than themselves, and like sub-standard adult Pink Winged stick insects and Thailand stick insects. They also like large flies, large caterpillars, large moths and small earthworms.
The following are NOT suitable as mantid food because they can harm the mantid (either by poisoning or attacking it): ants, bees, wasps, spiders, woodlice, crickets, Indian stick insects, Peruvian fern stick insects.

The mantid's abdomen should look fat. If the mantid has had a particularly filling meal, it will not be hungry for several days and will refuse food. This is normal and no cause for concern. The mantid should eat again after a few days.

Caution! Do not overfeed a mantid - it can burst.
HOUSING
The BSP cage wrapped
 A mantid likes to catch live prey and so the cage must have sides with good climbing surfaces so the mantid can get a good grip.
The mantid does best in a large, well-ventilated cage and so the
Bug Studio Professional is ideal housing. Keep the cage clean by placing a Liner on the floor, changed weekly.
HANDLING
Hand Take care when handling a mantid as it may move quickly and jump. Caution! Never hold a mantid to your eyes or wave your finger at it as the mantid may lash out. Different species of mantid have different behaviour. The best species to keep as pets are the Ghana mantid (Sphodromantis lineola) and the Large African mantid (Hierodula sp). Both are good to handle and have calm temperaments. The Ghana mantid is smaller than the Large African mantid.
The Chinese mantid is aggressive and not recommended as a pet.
TEMPERATURE
Thermometer Mantids do not need heated cages. They do well in a room that is comfortably warm in the day and cooler at night. Avoid putting the cage on a windowsill as the mantid may overheat in the summer and get too cold in the winter.
WATER
A mantid does not drink a lot of water but does appreciate the leaves in the cage being misted every day or so. If thirsty, the mantid can drink from the water droplets on the leaves. Adult mantids drink regularly and adult females drink water when they are producing eggs.

These Care sheets are produced by Small-Life Supplies to generate more interest in the hobby and are copyright free. Please print this sheet if you need more copies.

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