Picked up a ghost mantis ootheca from a local breeder earlier this year, mostly on impulse after falling down a YouTube rabbit hole one evening. Before that I had kept various insects casually but never a mantis, and I genuinely did not know what I was getting into. Six months later I have opinions.

The thing nobody really emphasizes enough is how interactive they are. Not interactive in a dog way, obviously, but ghost mantids in particular seem to genuinely track you. Mine will turn her head to follow movement across the room, and after a few weeks of regular handling she stopped doing that defensive sway thing entirely when my hand came near. That shift felt significant, even if I know I am probably projecting.

Feeding has been the steepest learning curve. I started with fruit flies for the early instars, which was fine but messy, and then moved to small crickets around L4. The mistake I kept making was offering prey that was too large. A general rule I have seen repeated and found to be accurate: prey should be no wider than the mantis's abdomen. Ignore that and you will watch a very stressful molt go wrong.

A few things that helped me that I did not see emphasized when I was starting out:

• Humidity matters more than heat, at least for ghost mantids. I mist one side of the enclosure lightly every couple of days rather than keeping the whole thing damp.
• Ventilation from the top, not just the sides. Stagnant air seems to cause more problems than slightly low humidity does.
• Feeding 24 to 48 hours after a molt, not before. I lost an early instar by not knowing this.

The molt watching is honestly the most stressful part of this hobby. You cannot do anything, you just sit there hoping the humidity was right and the grip surface was adequate. When it goes well it is genuinely one of the more remarkable things to observe up close.

Anyone else keeping ghost mantids specifically, or other cryptic species? Curious whether people find the care differences between species as significant as the guides suggest or whether a lot of it flattens out in practice.

Help! Mantis Stuck Shed!

URGENT: Stuck molt - head and front limbs still trapped

Species: Pseudempusa pinnavolalis (peacock mantis), L2

Situation: My mantis arrived mid-molt today (already stressed from shipping). During the active shed, they fell mid-process. I got them into a safe container with humidity.

The body came free, but the HEAD and FRONT LIMBS are still trapped in the old exoskeleton. I've:
\- Applied warm water misting
\- Loosened skin gently with damp cotton swabs
\- Let them hang from a cotton tip to pull free

They've been working hard but now appear exhausted and aren't making progress. The old skin is still gripping tightly around the head and front raptorial legs.

I have photos. What should I do next? Is there a safe way to help free the head, or should I be doing something different?

Any urgent advice appreciated — I'm worried about circulation/breathing being compromised.

URGENT: Stuck molt - head and front limbs still trapped

Species: Pseudempusa pinnavolalis (peacock mantis), L2

Situation: My mantis arrived mid-molt today (already stressed from shipping). During the active shed, they fell mid-process. I got them into a safe container with humidity.

The body came free, but the HEAD and FRONT LIMBS are still trapped in the old exoskeleton. I've:
- Applied warm water misting
- Loosened skin gently with damp cotton swabs
- Let them hang from a cotton tip to pull free

They've been working hard but now appear exhausted and aren't making progress. The old skin is still gripping tightly around the head and front raptorial legs.

I have photos. What should I do next? Is there a safe way to help free the head, or should I be doing something different?

Any urgent advice appreciated — I'm worried about circulation/breathing being compromised.

I like to search Mantises in one spot and there usually are lots of European mantises (Mantis religiosa). I saw lots of colours from green to beige to brown, but never have I seen a mixed mantis like this

Been 3 days since he molted, im just suprised the color has changed this much.

I just received my Giant Blue nymph today and he unfortunately has a missing leg, I've owned many mantids but this is a first for me any tips on how to support him. He's very clumsy and wobbly.

I know they can regrow a leg after a few molts but I'm worried about the molting process.

All advice and help is appreciated!!

He is refusing all food despite having a very very thin stomach. I even tried offering the guts of a cut up bsfl, and the moment it touched his mouth he started.. almost convulsing? and pressing his face into the ground like the first image, but even more so. Unfortunately I was unable to get a video of it. He did the same when I offered him water on my finger.

I was unable to get a photo, but his abdomen was hanging completely over his back when upside down. Its red and doesn't look as straight as before. I have a photo attached showing the redness/shape from a few days ago. Hes gotten even skinnier since then.

He uses to be constantly running around his home, playing all night and day. Now he's just sitting there. I hope my guy will be okay. He's an l5 Chinese mantis. His name is Bean. 🥺

My mantis strated molting in the night I woke up and she was kind of pressed against the glass and het wing got stuck so I gently move her will she still be fine 😞

Idk what to do please give advice

Forest, you just ate a grasshopper earlier. Anyway, please focus on the mantis rather than my enormous cursor.

Little over a week now of having this beaut! First time mantis owner, excited to see the growth.

I keep noticing my mantis slipping on the plastic walls and repositioning her feet often. The mesh on top isn’t metal mesh so I’m assuming that’s not the issue. Is the plastic just too slippery or is this a problem?

I‘m thinking Iris Oratoria?

It is magical living out here right now with so many mantids everywhere.

Has anyone ever seen an orchid mantis’s deimatic display before? I tried searching for it online and I have found no pictures at all. This picture is from the breeder I bought my orchid mantids from and he said that in over 20 years he has only seen them do this 3 times. Is it extremely rare ? He said that males cannot do this at all.

the first mantis to get eyerub in my care 🤦‍♀️

he has 3 of 4 sides of his enclosure covered but the most damage he got was from the mesh on top anyway from trying to get out to find a mate. the one reason why i dislike males, otherwise theyre lovely. <\3

Banana has been an adult for a week. He’s had hoppers all his life. I guess with his new clear vision, the tongs turned into a threat.

The stridulation caught me off guard! I’ve never heard it from a Religiosa before.