Care tips &
breeding
notes.
Husbandry articles, breeding observations, and keeper advice from a working mantis breeder in Las Vegas.
Where to buy a praying mantis in the US: breeder vs pet store vs marketplace, how to vet a seller, shipping red flags, and what to have read...
Brand new keeper? Read these six, in order.
Where to Buy a Praying Mantis: How to Vet a Seller
Where to buy a praying mantis in the US: breeder vs pet store vs marketplace, how to vet a seller, shipping red flags, and what to have ready at home.
How to Make a Bioactive Terrarium: A Beginner's Guide
Build your first bioactive terrarium step by step — substrate layers, plants, and the isopod and springtail cleanup crew, from the breeder who raises them.
READ →Is My Praying Mantis Dead or Molting? How to Tell
Your mantis is motionless and you can't tell if it's dead, in pre-molt, or mid-molt. Here's how to read the signs in 60 seconds — without touching it.
READ →Best Fruit Flies for Jumping Spiders: Melanogaster vs Hydei by Size
The best fruit flies for jumping spiders by size: melanogaster for slings, hydei for juveniles and adults. A breeder explains which, why flightless, how much.
READ →Feeding Dart Frogs Fruit Flies: A Feeder Guide for Froglets & Adults
Feeding dart frogs fruit flies: melanogaster for froglets, hydei for adults, how much to feed, dusting with supplement, and culture rotation from a breeder.
READ →Why Is My Fruit Fly Culture Not Producing? A Breeder's Fix-It Guide
Fruit fly culture not producing flies? A breeder walks through every reason a Drosophila culture crashes — no maggots, no new flies, mites, mold — and how to tell if it's salvageable or done.
READ →How to Hatch and Store Blue Bottle Fly Spikes (for Chameleons & Reptiles)
How to hatch blue bottle fly spikes at room temp and slow them in the fridge — a breeder's step-by-step for chameleons, reptiles, and mantises.
READ →What Do Baby Praying Mantises Eat? First Food for L1–L3 Nymphs
Baby praying mantises (L1–L3 nymphs) eat flightless fruit flies. A breeder explains exactly what to feed, how much, how often, and the 2-day rule after hatching.
READ →Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina): The US Native
How to identify the Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), South Carolina's state insect — size, range, whether it makes a good pet, and care basics.
READ →Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis): ID, History, Pet Care
Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) care, ID, and history: the largest mantis in the US, how it got here, the garden-ootheca connection, and whether it makes a good pet.
READ →European Mantis: The Original Praying Mantis
What does 'praying mantis' mean? Meet Mantis religiosa, the European mantis that named the group — its symbolism, bullseye ID spot, and pet suitability.
READ →Feeder Insects for Praying Mantises: The Complete Guide
What praying mantises eat at every stage — fruit flies, bottle flies, roaches. The feeder ladder, culture care, and where to buy mantis food.
READ →How We Breed Praying Mantises: Inside the Bug Room
How a Las Vegas breeder pairs mantises, incubates oothecae, and raises captive-bred nymphs from L1 - and why we release in small drops.
READ →Praying Mantis Egg Case: How to Identify & Hatch an Ootheca
What a praying mantis egg case (ootheca) is, how to identify the one you found, how many nymphs hatch, and the honest truth about hatching it yourself.
READ →Are Praying Mantis Legal? State Laws & Permits
Are praying mantises legal in the US? Permits, state laws, native vs exotic species, why captive-bred mantises stay legal, and where to buy one.
READ →Best Pet Mantis for Beginners: 6 Species Ranked
Six beginner species ranked by a Las Vegas breeder — temperature, humidity and feeding demands compared side by side, and why the prettiest one ranks last.
READ →How Much Does a Praying Mantis Cost? 2026 Pricing Guide
A pet praying mantis costs $30–$80 captive-bred. Real 2026 prices by species, what drives them, and total cost of ownership, from a US breeder.
READ →Where to Buy a Praying Mantis: How to Vet a Seller
Where to buy a praying mantis in the US: breeder vs pet store vs marketplace, how to vet a seller, shipping red flags, and what to have ready at home.
READ →Praying Mantis Lifespan: How Long Do They Live by Species
How long do praying mantises live? Most species 6-12 months; Ghost and Double Shield females reach 18. Male vs female and adult-stage figures by species.
READ →Praying Mantis Terrarium Setup: Complete Habitat Guide
Praying mantis terrarium setup by instar: enclosure size, ventilation, substrate, temperature, and humidity — so your mantis molts safely to adult.
READ →How to Unbox a Shipped Praying Mantis (Step-by-Step)
How to unbox a shipped praying mantis the right way: step-by-step arrival handling, what to check, and exactly what to do if your mantis arrives DOA.
READ →Praying Mantis Not Eating? Here's What to Do
Praying mantis not eating? The top reasons a mantis refuses food — pre-molt, cold, wrong prey size — and exactly what to do for each. From a working breeder.
READ →Praying Mantis vs Tarantula: Which Pet Is Right for You?
Praying mantis vs tarantula: which exotic pet is right for you? A breeder who keeps both compares lifespan, care, handling, and daily activity to help you choose.
READ →Praying Mantis Molting Problems: Stuck Molts & Fixes
Mantis stuck in a bad molt? Learn what a mismolt looks like, when to intervene, when to leave it alone, and how to prevent stuck molts.
READ →Where are you in the journey?
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