Q&A for How to Make a Praying Mantis Habitat

To acclimate a praying mantis to a terrarium, start by adjusting the temperature to match its natural habitat, facilitating its development. Feed the young mantis fruit flies, as they are easy to rear and suitable for their size. Create microhabitats within the terrarium to mimic their natural environment, especially when they are small and vulnerable. Maintain adequate humidity levels and provide access to water to ensure a comfortable and conducive environment for their growth and well-being, tailoring it to the specific needs of the species you are caring for.

Mantises are born in spring, and most die in winter. Assuming you caught your mantis in the wild, count back to the first warm days in your location.

Adult females are larger and stockier than males; the females generally don't fly, while the males can.

Most mantises eat meal worms, cockroaches, fruitflies and other bugs that you can buy online or in stores.

Most mantids require temperatures between 20-30 degrees C or 68-86 degrees F. They should be no less than 18 degrees C, or 64 degrees F depending on the species.

Probably not, as most mantids require high humidity and a cage 3x the size mantis's length.

You can tell by the wings. If the wings are longer than the body, then it's most likely an adult.

No, if it goes and attacks the prey it won't have room to attack and the habitat needs plants so it can blend in.

No. It cannot change colors. There are a lot of brown mantises,so we would need more information to identify it.

Sticks are good places to let your mantis molt. Mesh cage tops are just as good. Just make sure that the molting place you offer is high enough that your mantis will not touch ground.

The best temperature for most mantises is 80 Fahrenheit, but it depends on the breed.

Use a substrate of an inch or two of soil, peat, peat or soil mixed with sand, or vermiculite in the bottom of the tank for a pet praying mantis. This will help retain moisture. For species care sheets, a helpful reference is DeShawn's Mantid Kingdom. The required humidity also varies by praying mantis species.

No; praying mantises eat their prey live.

Your mantis is most likely molting. Keep taking care of it and monitor it. If you see it in the corner of the tank it is most likely molting so just leave it alone 24 hours after it molts. If it is around a year old, it may be dying, but it depends on the species.

If you caught your mantis, then you will not need a heating mat. If you have a species not native to your area, then you might want to research where they come from to know what humidity and temperature is in their natural area.

Depending on the breed and gender, they live for 6 months to 1 year. Check the individual times for your breed online.

You could feed your praying mantis daily. If it starts to look a bit thin or starts to become less and less active, feed it more. Be sure to give it water too.

Yes, there is! The answer is natural heat. Keep your mantis's vivarium in an area of your house which is close enough to the required temperature for a mantis.

No, they cannot. Sooner or later, your mantis would take one wrong step and kick the bucket. It is not wise to house any insects with carnivorous plants.

You could use real plants, but they would most probably rot. If you are willing to swap out the plants every time they rot, then it is okay to use real plants. You could also use the outer bark of a tree, as this might rot a bit more slowly.

Yes, they can if you spook them badly or provoke them. It feels like an ant bite but 3 times the pain. Of course, everyone feels pain differently, so it may be more painful or less painful for you.

You could definitely use a 10 gallon tank (though it is indeed unnecessary but hey, at least your mantis has more free space to move around!). As for housing more than one mantis in it, it is not a smart idea at all to house multiple mantises together no matter how big the tank, as eventually they will find, hunt, kill and eat each other.

It is possible for a young mantis to regrow a lost limb when they moult. (Adults can't do that.)

You can keep praying mantises perfectly without a substrate, but using a substrate has its benefits. A substrate will isolate and reduce temperature loss, retain moisture in the enclosure for proper humidity and create a soft landing if they fall. A substrate also makes the enclosure more appealing.

The lifespan of a praying mantis is up to two years while in captivity. In the wild, smaller species may live only a month, while larger species live about six months.