Praying Mantis E (forum)

Wazza McG starts with ...
Hi,

I want to see if I can start breeding some Garden Praying Mantis - does anyone know where you could purchase some foam egg casts called an ootheca?

As I child, I can recall them being abundant but rarely do I see them now - if at all.

Happy to purchase them off anyone who can locate the egg casts.

Cheers
Warren
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Time: 5th December 2011 7:59pm

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About the Author wazzamcg
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peter says...
ive got one and maybe even two.
ill check when i get to work tommorow.
if you post your email ill get in touch.

Time: 5th December 2011 10:27pm

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Jason says...
I only see a praying mantis about once a year these days, there were many many time more of them around 20 years ago. But I could say the same about stick insects and lots of crazy different coloured spiders you just don't see any more at all. Not enough bush and too many sprays around these days

Time: 6th December 2011 6:28am

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Original Post was last edited: 6th December 2011 6:29am

About the Author Jason
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Wazza McG says...
Thanks Peter, my addy is mcgoldrick1(AT)optusnet.com.au.

That's my thoughts as well Jason - I want to see if I can breed a few up then let the offspring guard my vegie garden.

The photo is the variety I am after, however, will take any mantis egg casts people can find.
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Time: 6th December 2011 6:40am

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Original Post was last edited: 6th December 2011 6:47am

About the Author wazzamcg
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MaryT says...
I see them in my garden but have not noticed any 'egg casts'. What do they do? I was not sure if they're a good thing or a bad thing.

Time: 6th December 2011 2:33pm

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About the Author MaryT
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BJ says...
They love finger lime trees. Always had about a dozen mantis coocoons in there at laying time. Unfortunately, once I removed the finger lime, I removed most of the mantis from the garden. Oh well, I have another finger lime growing now (better tasting and in a more suitable position) that will hopefully replace their habitat.

They are very good inscets to have around as they are voracious predators of many other insects, most of them what we'd consider pests. Dragon Flies are another good'un.

Time: 6th December 2011 3:07pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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amanda says...
They are really good guys MaryT...! Such a cool insect to watch in action. Don't the casts hatch in spring tho..? I have lots of babies around at present.

Some of them are quite different to the big green ones...they are brown and speckly and have slightly 'furry' front legs..very cute ;)

Time: 6th December 2011 3:08pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Mike says...
My place is jumping with them and the biggest type is almost the same as the one in the picture.I thought they'd pitch in with fruit spotting bug and hopper control but there are still plenty of pests.

Time: 6th December 2011 5:35pm

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MaryT says...
Oh thanks Amanda and Mike. I am glad I have them then; I also have huge dragonflies.

Time: 6th December 2011 6:30pm

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Mike says...
Mary T I also have big dragonflies.A Carboniferous hangover called Petalura buzzed my place not long ago.My place seems to get big insects like hercules moths,birdwing butterflies and some big stick insects.The ducks had a tug-o-war over a spiny stick insect on the weekend but refused to tangle with big snappy longicorn beetles tossed to them.

Time: 7th December 2011 12:20am

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MaryT says...
"Hercules moths" sounds like those bird size moths I once saw in the Kimberley, but maybe they were "birdwing butterflies". They frightened me more than the death adders sleeping peacefully in a coil. You really know your insects, Mike. I thought the praying mantis was a grass hopper.

Time: 7th December 2011 6:27am

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About the Author MaryT
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Wazza McG says...
Peter - Thanks again for your offer ;-)

To those to have seen them teeming in your area, any idea of the laying time? or is it random and you see egg casts and young ones at different intervals throughout the year?

Mike do you have any egg casts you can spare? The stick insect sounds interesting as well.



Time: 7th December 2011 6:32am

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About the Author wazzamcg
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Pemby says...
Could anyone identify this please
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Time: 22nd April 2013 10:10pm

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About the Author Pemby
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VF says...
It's a Phasmid (stick insect) of some sort, possibly a Spiny Leaf. These guys are herbivorous and can cause a bit of foliage damage to your trees (my Guava's seem to attract some of these leaf munchers). Fascinating creatures. I relocate them to surrounding bushland rather than kill them, as there's never many at once.

Time: 23rd April 2013 12:43am

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About the Author VF
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Mike says...
It is a male macleays spectre and this species sure gives my jackfruit a hard time.Females are very large and can't fly like males.

Time: 23rd April 2013 7:34am

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amanda says...
What's so nice about Jackfruit I wonder Mike? I have slaters climbing way up the trunk and eating the leaves on mine..!?

Time: 23rd April 2013 10:12am

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Mike says...
I don't know why the inect like hoppers hook into them.Other trees in the same Family like mulberries don't get attacked by insects.

Time: 23rd April 2013 8:44pm

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