3/4/2022: Buxom mantid lady musings

Getting back into mantids has been a mixture of elation and frustration. Progress with some species has gone swimmingly, with growth being rapid and feeding a breeze with typical feeder fare. Others have been very trying on my patience, with slow growth, too much cannibalism, or not enough moisture despite frequent watering. The overall experience has been positive, but a reminder of the learning curve with propagating multiple species of any taxa.

I have been smitten with an unassuming mantid I’ve never worked with before, that being Sphodromantis kersteni. This has been a hardy, vigorous species for me, and one I haven’t seen offered much (perhaps due to misidentification, or the numerous other Sphodromantis available).

One female out of the batch stuck out from the get-go, and I’ve been pampering her in the hopes of producing a super sized adult for personal enjoyment and future breeding. I hope that within a few weeks she’ll mature to a bulky, healthy adult and I can get that project under way. This is definitely a species I’d like to produce regularly for all to enjoy.

-Kyle