Each Praying Mantis Egg Case from Josh's Frogs contains 50-200 baby Chinese praying mantids (Tenodera sinensis), just waiting to hatch out! Josh's Frogs sends you two egg cases for the price of one! Praying Mantids are easy to keep as pets!

Hatching

Typically, praying mantis egg cases will hatch within 3-10 weeks. If you wish to delay hatching, simply keep the egg case in a refrigerator in a non-airtight container, then remove it 1-2 months before you want it to hatch. Please keep in mind that a very low percentage of Praying Mantis Egg Cases may be infertile - that's why we sell 2 for the price of 1!

Housing the nymphs

 Keeping praying mantids as pets is easy with a few simple steps. Many times, the praying mantids may hatch and leave the egg case in less than 24 hours - it's easy to miss them! Using a 32oz Insect Cup with Vented Lid, we make 2 slits in the lid and run a zip tie through it, using it to secure the egg case to the lid, so that the 'gills' are facing downward. In the bottom of the cup, we place a couple layers of paper towel. Every few days, add a bit of water to the paper towel to keep it moist and raise the humidity in the Insect Cup. Expect the egg case to hatch in 3-10 weeks.

Feeding

Once the praying mantids hatch, offer food within 24 hours or they may start eating each other! We recommend housing the mantids individually in 32oz Insect Cups with Vented Lids.

Each ootheca contains dozens to hundreds of baby mantids. Please be ready for them when they hatch - mantids make great gifts for others, and even good snacks for many different species of reptiles and amphibians (and each other, if you do not house them individually).

Keep a thin layer of paper towel on the bottom, and provide a few thin sticks or twigs for the praying mantis to climb and perch on. Spray the cup lightly with water every 1-2 days.

From hatching on to about 4 weeks of age, the praying mantids will be able to consume hydei fruit flies, which are very easy to culture with a Josh's Frogs Fruit Fly Culturing Kit. After the mantid outgrows the flies, offer crickets. Feed 2-3 flies every few days. If flies are still present in the Insect Cup at the time of feeding, skip a feeding. 

Things to keep in mind

Since each ootheca contains dozens to hundreds of baby mantids, please be ready for them when they hatch - mantids make great gifts for others, and even good snacks for many different species of reptiles and amphibians (and each other, if you do not house them individually).

We do not recommend releasing Chinese praying mantids (Tenodera sinensis) outdoors in the garden for pest control, as they are not a native species. 

Links of Interest:

https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/caring-for-mantis-eggs/

https://www.boreal.com/www.boreal.com/images/Praying_Mantis_Egg_Cases.pdf