# Orchid mantis in new viv



## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I moved the largest of my females into her viv today. She likes it. Few more months, maybe less till she hits adult. Hopwfully I get lots of ootheca from her. Thes mantis start out life as ant mimics, and are red and black when they hatch. They dont turn pink and white till they molt their first time


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Soooooooo Cool!


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## frogbog (Jul 7, 2011)

ohhh myy gawd... 
thats by far the coolest thing ive ever seen in a viv.
5 thumbs up!


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## MX83Drifter (Feb 13, 2012)

awesome! you got a picture of the whole tank?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Lol I forgot to take one and now I'm out and about. I'll get one up later or tomorrow. Pretty simple, they don't need much


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

Nice Bug! Whats he eat?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Flies, bees and wasps


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

lol, I like how you color-coordinated it and that phalaenopsis

very pimp


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

frogparty said:


> Flies, bees and wasps


you trapping the bees and wasps, or breeding?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I raise flies. Any bees or wasps that find their way into my house are doomed


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## ClintonJ (May 11, 2009)

Amazing creature! I second the request for an fts.


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## kgb (Aug 2, 2011)

Awesome!! I want one. I have some chinese mantids i received from a fellow board member. They are currently in my 40 gallon breeder verts with my frogs. Mantids and frogs are about the same size currently so no problems


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

It will be a problem soon. I would remove them NOW.


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

you can find a large number of pics online of mantids feeding on prey just as large, if not larger, than themselves. So frog party likely has a point here.


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## bristles (Jan 19, 2011)

I've got 2 Chinese mantid's from the same source as KGB's although I keep mine in a 5g alone as they kind of give me the Willie's  , when I come near the tank they turn their head's to look at me, like wonder if I could eat that dude
But seeing the orchid mantid photo's make me want to research these guys more & maybe take the plunge into another branch of beast keeping ....wife is going to kill me


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

kgb said:


> Awesome!! I want one. I have some chinese mantids i received from a fellow board member. They are currently in my 40 gallon breeder verts with my frogs. Mantids and frogs are about the same size currently so no problems


I'm sorry, but this seems insane! Praying Mantis? Very cool. Praying Mantis + frogs? Not so much.




















TrekNature | Mantis eating little frog Photo
Mantis feeding on Tree Frog | What's That Bug?


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Those are freaking AWESOME! How big are they?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Not to mention that they will eat each other. Time for their own caging


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## bratyboy2 (Jan 29, 2010)

How much do these go for? They are gorgeous! They won't get any bees but flies I can do....im allergic to bees....and my mom...how do you keep them?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

You keep them in a viv just like a dart frog. They need a vertical place to molt from, thats the only specific requirement. They need to be kept warm, dart frog temps work fine, but they like temps in the low 80s too. The warmer you keep them, the shorter their life span. Females live about a year, maybe a biiit more. Males only last a few months as adults, and are about 1/3rd the size. When you can find them for sale, they go for $15 to $20 for L2 nymphs. Expect to lose a few to mismolts, and they tend to run pretty male heavy in my experience. I bought mine from multiple sources. I got ten from someone, 9 of which I think are males( still pretty small). Looks like I have at least 3 females though, so I should get plenty of ootheca. If/when they hatch Ill have some available for sale. 

I just order fly pupae and hatch them out myself. Super easy and no smell


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Brotherly Monkey said:


> lol, I like how you color-coordinated it and that phalaenopsis
> 
> very pimp


I bought that Phal just for them. In nature, the range of these does overlap with Phals a bit, but they are really adept vanda mimics. The first time I saw these was in Singapore at the royal orchid gardens.....Ill never forget it. 
These are Hymenopus coronatus, theres also a yellow version, Parymenopus davisonii


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## WeeNe858 (Sep 13, 2010)

LOL! Pumlio, you just had to provide visual proof didn't you!

Makes me with I didn't pass up on that pair...... :/


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I didnt bring these to SCADS, those were indian flower mantis


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## MrsKermitt2012 (Jan 29, 2012)

My Indian flower are doing amazing!!! One shed already the other is about to  thanks again!! I think they are so neat to watch especially when he's about to eat


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## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

I've been wanting to try orchid mantises for a long time. If you get some egg cases, I may buy one from you.


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## WeeNe858 (Sep 13, 2010)

carbonetc said:


> I've been wanting to try orchid mantises for a long time. If you get some egg cases, I may buy one from you.


Not before me though!


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Well I will be offering L2 nymphs, not ootheca. You can be sure that i will post them when I have some ready.

Mrs Kermit, I'm really glad they are doing so well. I didn't really look when I handed them to you if they were a pair or not. Time will tell. I'll have some ghost mantis in the near future too, as the first of my females is about to molt to adult


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

frogparty said:


> I bought that Phal just for them. In nature, the range of these does overlap with Phals a bit, but they are really adept vanda mimics. The first time I saw these was in Singapore at the royal orchid gardens.....Ill never forget it.
> These are Hymenopus coronatus, theres also a yellow version, Parymenopus davisonii


I figured I mention it because he seemed to match up rather well to it ( I take it it's a hybrid?), didn't know their camouflage was particularly targeted to vanda's though. But understandable why you didn't want to go that route

PS did you make it to the aquarium in Singapore?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

*Re: Orchid mantis in new vivM*

Consider that vandas grow like bushes in southeast Asia and it makes perfect sense. People have them for landscaping plants, growing in lava rock. 

I didn't make it to the aquarium. Singapore was a short stopover between Borneo and home.


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## MrsKermitt2012 (Jan 29, 2012)

frogparty said:


> Well I will be offering L2 nymphs, not ootheca. You can be sure that i will post them when I have some ready.
> 
> Mrs Kermit, I'm really glad they are doing so well. I didn't really look when I handed them to you if they were a pair or not. Time will tell. I'll have some ghost mantis in the near future too, as the first of my females is about to molt to adult


Ya I have them separate homes one in my sons room one in my daughters room. Who would've known that them creeping me out would fade when I actually owned two. Lol one scared me only once when it tried to run and escape when I was adding prey to its viv. It ran full blast at me!! Haha


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## enfinite5 (Nov 23, 2011)

WHOA! I have never seen a mantis that color!


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