Before your mantis ships
We pre-check the 3-day forecast at your destination ZIP. If forecast lows drop below 40°F or highs climb above 90°F during transit, we hold the order and email you. Weather holds are not cancellations — your order resumes on the next ship day after temps clear our threshold.
You can verify shipping availability to your ZIP at any time using the ZIP check on any variant page or on the shipping policy page.
Day-of dispatch
Your mantis ships in a vented deli cup with a foam-padded liner inside an insulated box. We pack the day of pickup, never the night before. The carrier collects in the late afternoon.
Most customers choose Priority Overnight (1 business day, by noon) — this is the only speed covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee. A cheaper 2-Day option exists but ships entirely at the buyer’s risk with no live-arrival guarantee — if you pick 2-Day, you accept the extra day of transit risk and waive LOA.
You’ll get:
- A shipping confirmation email with tracking
- An estimated delivery window
- Optionally: SMS notifications from the carrier if you opted in
Unboxing protocol
When the package arrives, follow these steps in order (for a photo walkthrough, see how to unbox your shipped mantis):
1. Bring it indoors immediately
Don’t leave the package on the porch — even for ten minutes in summer heat or winter cold. Live invertebrates can’t tolerate the temperature swing.
2. Let it acclimate
Set the unopened package in a draft-free room at normal indoor temperature for 30 minutes. This lets the contents stabilize gradually rather than experiencing an abrupt temperature change.
3. Open in a contained space
Open the outer box, then the inner deli cup, in a small room with the door closed. If a fruit fly culture or fly culture is included, this catches escapes.
4. Inspect the mantis
The mantis should be:
- Alert and moving when the cup is opened (may be still at first; tap the cup gently — it should respond)
- All limbs present and properly oriented
- Eyes clear and intact
If your mantis arrives dead, stop and document. Record a continuous unboxing video within 1 hour of delivery — sealed box through to the deceased mantis in its original cup — and don’t transfer or handle it first. File your claim at lobomantis.com/claim — you upload the video and enter your order number right there. The guarantee covers dead-on-arrival on Priority Overnight orders only (post-arrival death isn’t covered). See LOA terms in the shipping policy.
5. Transfer to enclosure
Two methods:
- Cup-and-card: slide a stiff card under the cup mouth, invert into the enclosure, slowly slide the card out as the mantis walks free. (Have the enclosure ready beforehand — see our terrarium setup guide.)
- Hand transfer: for calmer adults, you can let the mantis walk onto your hand and into the enclosure. Wash hands first — no scents, no food residue.
6. Mist lightly
A light mist on the enclosure walls (not the mantis) gives the animal access to drinking water. It’s likely gone 18–24 hours without water in transit and may want to drink.
7. Don’t feed for 24 hours
Stress + food = trouble. The mantis needs to acclimate first. After 24 hours, offer one small prey item appropriate to its instar.
The first 24 hours
A freshly arrived mantis often:
- Sits motionless on a perch for hours
- Refuses to eat (this is fine for now)
- Drinks misted water
- Explores the enclosure slowly
What’s normal:
- Stillness
- Slow, deliberate movements
- Refusing the first prey offering
What’s a concern:
- Twitching or convulsions (potential temperature injury, cold or heat — happens if the package was outside in extreme weather)
- Inability to grip a perch
- Any limb that hangs limp or appears detached
If you see concerning signs, photograph and email us immediately.
Days 1–7
Resume normal husbandry on day 2:
- Feed appropriate prey for the instar
- Mist on the species’ normal schedule
- Maintain target temperature and humidity
The mantis should be eating reliably by day 3. If it’s still refusing food on day 5, suspect:
- Temperature too low (most common) — bump to upper end of species range
- Premolt — check for signs (stillness, hanging upside-down); our guide to praying mantis molting problems covers what’s normal
- Acclimation stress in nervous species (the Spiny Flower Mantis especially) — give it more time
Returns and replacements
We don’t accept “I changed my mind” returns on live animals. The Live Arrival Guarantee covers exactly one thing:
- Dead on arrival (documented with a continuous unboxing video within 1 hour of delivery) on Priority Overnight orders only
It does not cover:
- Anything shipped via 2-Day or Ground Home Delivery — choosing those speeds waives LOA
- Mantises that arrive alive but die later (post-arrival mortality)
- Carrier delays or carrier-caused issues — we’ll help you navigate the carrier’s claim process, but they’re outside the guarantee
- Injuries from after-arrival handling
- Refusal of delivery / unattended porches resulting in temperature damage
- Death during a normal molt
Read the full shipping policy before ordering.
Quick reference
| Event | Action |
|---|---|
| Package arrives | Bring inside immediately |
| Just inside | 30-minute room-temp acclimation |
| 30 min later | Open and inspect |
| DOA (dead on arrival) | Unboxing video within 1h, then file at /claim |
| Healthy | Transfer to enclosure |
| First 24h | Mist; no food |
| Day 2+ | Resume normal feeding/husbandry |