New orchids for my mantids

Real plants are one of the best things you can put in a terrarium. Not only do they help to create a good climate, they also look good. They also offer the occupants privacy and a place to retreat. For mantids in particular, flowering plants are their natural habitat, where they linger and wait for nectar-loving insects. The only thing you should make sure of is that the plant and the soil have not been treated with pesticides.

To be on the safe side, I also wash the plant and replace the soil and wait a few weeks before adding an animal. In the case of an orchid, I don’t need the soil anyway as I tie it up and hang it in the terrarium.

I bought 5 small orchids because I want to hang them in BraPlast containers(18.5 x 18.5 x 19.0 cm) and keep them there permanently.

These are the following species:

Angreacum didieri

It is a small orchid that occurs exclusively in Madagascar. It is an epiphytic(epiphytic plant) growing species and is therefore ideal for mounting. Temperatures of 20 to 28°C and a humidity of 60-80% are ideal. This puts it in line with the orchid mantids.

Mediocalcar decoratum

Mediocalcar decoratum is also a small orchid that grows beautifully in the terrarium and flowers several times a year. It comes from Australia and should be given a bright spot in the terrarium. Its bell-shaped yellow-orange flowers are beautiful.

Nanodes/Epidendrum porpax

This orchid comes from tropical Central and South America. It is an epiphyte (epiphytic plant) with small, thick, fleshy leaves. It should be kept moist and warm in the terrarium.

 

Dryadella simula

Dryadella simula has a flower size of 1 cm and a leaf length of approx. 10 cm. It is a miniature orchid. Temperatures of 18-25°C and high humidity are ideal. It flowers all year round. Its countries of origin are Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Pleurothallis (Specklinia) corniculata

Small orchid that grows very well in the terrarium. It blooms several times a year with small, orange flowers and is easy to care for. It requires temperatures of 23-26°C and high humidity. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba and Jamaica.

I would like to briefly discuss the parameters of humidity and temperature. The values for the orchids and all the insects described are guidelines. It is not necessary to spray the terrarium four times a day at a humidity level of 70%. I usually spray the terrarium in the evening, half an hour before the heating goes out. This causes some of the water to evaporate and the humidity rises to around 90%. The next morning, the water evaporates relatively quickly and the humidity drops to 50-60%. This also corresponds quite closely to the natural habitats of insects and plants.

In the next blog post I will show you how I will tie up the orchids and integrate them into the insectarium.

Want to know what happens next? Then subscribe to me!