Keeping the Praying Mantis: Mantodean Captive Biology, Reproduction, and Husbandry

"My" praying mantis was waiting for me on my doorknob when I returned from breakfast with my family during a snowstorm about 10-days before Halloween, 2013. Brought him inside. Left him on a Boston Fern and went to brush my teeth and patch up my finger. No real problem with my finger but I felt lucky not to have lost my head. Later found him in the wiring in the basement above the Boston Fern. Bought him a Large 5-gallon Critter Keeper and told the cricket-lady I didn't expect to have to feed him beyond Thanksgiving. Spent the rest of the fall and winter season through Ground Hogs Day, 2014, researching him on the internet. He settled down and we became good friends. I have tons of pictures. There are several fine short videos. As the days, weeks and months went by he slowly ran out of steam. His lunch ate his head off overnight Wednesday, 05-Feb-2014. I bought this book anyway.It has Lots and Lots of Pictures. Orin McMonigle knows so much about the Mantis that he does not know where to begin ... But he does begin. He meanders a good bit through loosely organized sections of his experience and knowledge. He touches on much. He talks about 28-mantis species common to the continental US including the Chinese Mantis, my mantis, but does not say which one that is, though he talks about the "Chinese Mantis" in one section. He generally does not equate any of the scientific names in one section with his use of common names in another. He rarely follows through on the many opportunities to stitch things like that together. There is no step-by-step to anything. How humid is humid-enough ? How Warm ? What is "too dry" ? He touches on much. There are lots and lots of pictures.I found this book on the internet. I had already found the answers to all of my questions on the internet. After reading this book I do have lots more questions to research on the internet.One thing ... "Crickets are Dangerous !"

Rare things are often pricey. This is a rare find in the (thinly-populated) world of preying mantis literature for popular reading.Being an active mantis hobbyist, my initial concern about any complete work on the subject was either: 1. It would be too academic and boringly dry, or 2. Just the opposite - it would not do justice to helping the reader understand the wonder of these incredible animals. McMonigle's book carefully avoids either pitfall.This book covers every aspect of the preying mantis, written in an easy, friendly cadence, yet just enough technical information to please diehards like myself. And the book is absolutely loaded with four-color photographs - mandatory for enhancing descriptions and anecdotes in the text. This is *not* a textbook. It's focused on the hobbyist who is interested in learning how to keep mantids healthy and happy in captivity and how to successfully breed them.Although I was not terribly happy with the quality of the page paper - it *is* non-glossy, which makes reading, in my opinion, much easier on the eyes. Get this book and go out and find a mantis or two. You'll be amazed.

My six year old son loves it. I catch him reading it all the time. We both keep learning a ton of new information from it. There are many great pictures of species we did not know, though the reproduction of the shots is not great. Good enough, but higher quality graphic reproduction would make this a truly beautiful book. My son keeps reading in order to plan for keeping a mantis next spring. We hatched an egg sac last summer, and he already has two waiting for this spring. He also wants to order an exotic species. The book is a bit expensive, but not unreasonable for the content.

A wonderful collection of information in print and photographic forms. Written to be understood by everyone from a young student to the beginning hobbyist to the experienced hobbyist looking to add a wonderful piece of literature to the personal library. The amount of information this book contains is well worth the price. The value of this book is high due to its use as a reference text (needing certain parts at a specific time) or rereading the book as a whole. I will recommend this book to everyone who is interested in its subject matter.

Overall some great and detailed info, and some huge gaps: not at all a care guide more of a coffee table book.This is a great and detailed manual with lots of quality color photos, but the title is misleading. It does discuss keeping mantids, including info about feeder insects and making a container, but does not differentiate AT ALL between the species' care. For example if has great details about regulating humidity, but nothing about WHAT humidity is healthy even in general, much less that different species have different needs. Just how to increase or decrease it. Talks in detail about how the male of a particular species may need "warmer temperatures" to be induced to breed, but nothing about temperature for housing the species in general or what temperature that breeding temp might be.I was really hoping this would be something of a detailed care guide, but it is clearly intended for the academic or enthusiast rather than someone interested in details in actual/applied husbandry or breeding.

This book exceeded my expectations. Very informative on mantid husbandry as well as details on their life histories and behaviors. Nice photography accompanies the material being explained. Mr. McMonigle's book is a must have for the mantid novice or long term enthusiast.

Exactly what I expected from this book. Detailed notes on a variety of individual species as well as notes and tips on mantids in general. If you are into praying mantis's you need this book.

My son likes this book and it has much detail for the enthusiast. I just wished someone had warned me that a female could lay weekly egg sacks. ;)

Excelente libro!

tops

I heard about this book on the uk mantis forum and ordered it straight away . The book is fantastic , its very well written and contains great photos . The information contained in here is very useful and it is an interesting read . I would recommend this book to any mantis owner or would be owner .

The book was informative in the care of my Mantis.

Fantastic product