Frequently
asked

Every order ships Priority Overnight and arrives the next business day. We pack the day of pickup, never the night before. Order cutoff is 2 PM PT Monday — orders placed after Monday's cutoff go out the following Monday.

We ship every Monday. We don't ship later in the week or on weekends, because an animal should never sit in a carrier warehouse over a weekend. Order any day; the next available ship date will be in your confirmation.

We pre-check the 3-day forecast at every destination ZIP. If forecast lows drop below 40°F or highs climb above 90°F during transit, we put your order on hold and email you. Weather holds aren't cancellations — your order resumes the next available ship date once temps clear.

No. Federal agriculture rules and carrier limits make live invertebrate shipments to Hawaii and Alaska impossible. International orders are also not supported.

Record a continuous unboxing video within 1 hour of delivery — sealed box through to the deceased animal in its original cup — and file your claim at lobomantis.com/claim, where you upload the video. We'll send a replacement — or refund the animal's price if we can't restock soon. The guarantee covers dead-on-arrival on Priority Overnight orders only (post-arrival death isn't covered). Read the full Live Arrival Guarantee terms before ordering.

Start with the African Twig Mantis or Ghost Mantis. Both are forgiving of beginner mistakes, more tolerant of dry air than most species, and live close to a year. Read the Getting Started guide before you order.

Not really. Orchids are picky about prey (flying insects only), need stricter humidity control, and have extreme sexual dimorphism that confuses first-timers. Beautiful — but a better second or third species.

For most species, no — they'll eat each other. The exception is the Ghost Mantis, which can be group-housed past L3 with dense prey availability.

Most species live 6 to 12 months total, from hatch to death. The Double Shield pushes the upper end (12–18 months); the Orchid lives shorter (~5–9 months). Adult lifespans are typically 4–8 months once they finish their final molt.

Live insects only — fruit flies for nymphs, then houseflies / bottle flies as they grow. Some species also accept crickets and roaches at adult sizes. See the feeding guide for the full prey-by-instar breakdown.

Most likely premolt — they stop eating for several days before a molt (2–7 days for nymphs, and up to a week or more for adults). Other possibilities: the room is too cold, the prey is the wrong size, or it's a species that only takes flying prey and you offered a stationary feeder. See the molting guide.

No, guest checkout works. If you create an account during checkout, you'll be able to track orders and view past purchases. Account management is handled through our checkout provider (Snipcart) and is optional.

All major credit and debit cards through Snipcart's secure checkout. We don't accept PayPal, crypto, or wire transfers.

Live animals can't be returned for any reason other than the Live Arrival Guarantee. We don't accept buyer's-remorse returns — please read species care guides carefully and use the ZIP-based shipping check before ordering. Read the full refund policy.