1978] 
Robinson & Robinson — Acanthops falcata 
243 
Figure 2. Left. Rearing cage for Acanthops falcata. (See text) A is a plastic petri 
dish and B a 6oz shot “glass”. The female is shown in her resting posture on a piece of 
bamboo (C). 
Right. A larger cage, suitable for spiders and large mantids. (See text) D is a cylinder 
of transparent acetate sheeting, lOcrn high, joined with cellulose tape. E shows the 
double lid made from a plastic petri dish and cover. The inner section has a hole of 5 
cm diameter cut from it. The outer section, which is plugged with a moist cotton ball, 
can be raised to introduce food, without disturbing the animal. The positions of the 
cylindrical toothpicks which provide web attachment points and footholds are 
indicated. 
a mating arena. This was fitted with a screen top and held two or 
three potted plants. In the enclosed space males seemed to have 
difficulty locating a secreting female and if males and females were 
left together in such a container outside the mating period, males 
were eaten. Several males can be left together, however, and females 
can be introduced when they are secreting. The aquarium had the 
advantage that the mantids could be kept in it in the dark, and we 
could initiate mating behavior without disturbing them, by bringing 
them into a lighted area. Later we developed a lin X lm X .5m 
screened cage as a mating arena. Mantids from the dark phase of a 
controlled light regime can be brought into the light and released 
into such a cage, where they immediately become sexually active. 
Results are better if the light intensity is low. Since secreting females 
maintain a specialized posture (Robinson & Robinson, in prep.) it is 
easy to determine when they are receptive. 
