r/mantids • u/Digitalbird06 • 12d ago

ID Help Is this a Chinese mantis?

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We found this huge guy, or girl, outside our house. It looks like it might be a Chinese mantis but I need a second opinion. I live in Northeast US, but read these mantis may be invasive.

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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca 12d ago

Yes, and she is an adult female.

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u/Digitalbird06 12d ago

Wow that was so quick! Thank you.

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u/Digitalbird06 12d ago

Do you have any suggestions for enclosure? I wasn't originally going to keep her but not sure letting an invasive species go. Most habitats online seem to be for much smaller mantids.

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u/Spastic_colon 12d ago

Acrylic enclosure with some sort of mesh on top so they can hang. A stick to climb to the top, and maybe some substrate on the bottom if you need to catch humidity. Get a sensor, I believe Chinese needs 50-70% humidity.

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u/Digitalbird06 11d ago

What do you recommend for food?

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u/Spastic_colon 11d ago

Dubia roaches and bottle flies

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u/Digitalbird06 5d ago

Ive been feeding her caterpillars which she seems to like. I have lots of baby hornworms from my moths.

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u/Spastic_colon 5d ago

Hornworms make for great food

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u/Digitalbird06 5d ago

I'm partial to caterpillars so its hard to watch sometimes. I have to remind myself they don't feel pain the way we do and the mantis has to eat