Although the fear of bugs is a worldwide fear, there are a bunch of us who are totally fascinated by them, and would love to observe the weirdest of bugs in action. That can be hard to do sometimes. You can't study one particular bug for as long as you want. It is up to the bug whether or not it will stay in your view. One of the bugs, that fascinates the bug-lovers the most, would be that elusive Praying Mantis. Praying mantises come in many colors such as the orchid praying mantis,(Hymenopus coronatus). Praying mantises are not just green, they are brown, pink, white, and other colors. This site has the list of the mantis species: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mantis_genera_and_species
Step 1
Find one. The first step to observing a praying mantis is to find one. Look in places where there are many green bushes, crickets, and butterflies. These are some of the mantises' favorite foods.
Step 2
Look carefully. These little bugs are masters of disguise. Most are long and green. Some can be fat and grey, or even have a pinkish hue. Some look like flowers, but those are mostly found in countries such as Africa and Asia.
Step 3
Ready a container for your mantis. Get a small container to put your mantis in once you find it. It does not have to be very big - just a 6"x6" square should do for most mantids. The container should be well ventilated and preferably made out of mesh, or chicken wire, to give the mantis and its prey something to cling onto. It should also have a secure top.
Step 4
Catch your mantis. More than likely, you won't need any gloves, unless you are squeamish about touching bugs. Simply place the opening of your container in front of the mantis. Coax the mantis into the container using a twig, or your hand if you are okay with that. Soon, he or she should willingly go into the container. Close the top, because mantises are smart, and they will seize the opportunity to escape.
Step 5
Feed your mantis properly. To feed your mantis, catch butterflies or crickets. Buying crickets from the pet store is not necessary, although some people will tell you that using wild crickets could make your pet sick. This may be true for store-raised mantises, but for wild-caught ones, not much harm should come to them. As for store-bought crickets, some caution should be exercised. Many pet stores do not feed or properly care for crickets, and that can pass on to your mantis. A few days of feeding crickets high nutrition diets to help manage the bacteria in their gut, and they should be fine.
Step 6
Be prepared for nursery duty if you catch a female mantis. If your mantis is a female, it will have a big fat belly, and lack the ability to fly. When your mantis lays eggs, it should be in the early fall, or late spring. Don't worry. You will have plenty of time to prepare for your eggs to hatch:
- They hatch the next spring. The egg case will look kind of disgusting, and have a ridge along the center of it.
- Come springtime, the eggs should soon hatch, and the nymphs should emerge through tiny holes in the egg case. A word of caution, they can, and WILL often eat each other if they are not separated, and when they reach molting stages, many mantises will stop eating for a day or two, so it's easier to squeeze out of that old shell.
- You can set them free in your garden, or feed them gnats until they get a bit bigger.
Step 7
Always treat any animal with care, and wash your hands after handling their cages, or cage accessories.
Tips
- With proper care praying mantises can live up to one and a half years.
- Always treat any animal with care, and wash your hands after handling their cages or cage accessories.
- Contrary to popular belief, mantids are not endangered, and it is not illegal to kill one. You may not release non-native species.
- Always love them because they are harmless. (Please take care of it; it's your pet now!)
- Praying mantises have very fragile egg cases, so be very careful.
Warnings
- It is really a bad idea to house 2 mantises together. They generally don't get along well as adults. One can become a snack for the other.
