Quick answer: The Mantis is a passive tame: without knocking it out, you hand-feed it Deathworm Horns, one every few minutes, while it is calm. Bug Repellant or a simple trap lets you get close without being attacked. A level 150 Mantis needs about 8 horns at 1x; on Tharyon, with 8x taming, 1 is enough.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Mantis is a giant desert insect that can use tools and weapons. It can wield a sword, pike or club, and harvest with a metal hatchet, pick or sickle. With good mutations it also performs very well against bosses.
Mantis quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Carnivore (eats spoiled meat) |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Taming method | Passive (feed it while it is awake) |
| Preferred kibble | Does not use kibble to tame |
| Best food | Deathworm Horn and Woolly Rhino Horn |
| How to immobilize it | Chain Bola, Bear Trap, Plant Species Y Trap and the Harpoon Launcher net |
| How to knock it out | Do not knock it out: it is a passive tame and an unconscious Mantis cannot be tamed |
| Saddle | Mantis Saddle (level 45) |
| Maps (ASA) | Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Island, Astraeos |
How to tame a Mantis step by step
- Get Deathworm Horns (or, less effective, Woolly Rhino Horns) and put them in the last hotbar slot.
- Use Bug Repellant to reduce its aggression; Ghillie armor also helps.
- Without repellant, build a trap: one foundation with four walls on the first level, three on the second and two ramps in the open gap.
- Walk up and press use to give it a horn. Wait a few minutes between feedings until it accepts food again.
- Keep it out of fights: while it fights, taming pauses and, if it stays aggressive too long, progress can drop.
Mantis taming food and taming calculator
These numbers come from ARK’s taming formula for a level 150 Mantis. The 1x column is the official rate and the 8x column is Tharyon’s rate. They are estimates: hitting the sleeping creature or a game patch can change them slightly.
| Food | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Amount 8x (Tharyon) | Time 8x (Tharyon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deathworm Horn | 8 | 24 min | 1 | 3 min |
Mantis taming time by level with Deathworm Horn
| Level | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Amount 8x | Time 8x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 3 | 9 min | 1 | 3 min |
| 60 | 4 | 12 min | 1 | 3 min |
| 100 | 6 | 18 min | 1 | 3 min |
| 150 | 8 | 24 min | 1 | 3 min |
Where to find the Mantis in ARK Ascended
It lives in caves and desert dunes, usually in groups of two or three. When one spots prey, the others tend to follow, so approach carefully and pull one away from the group.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Island, Astraeos.
Mantis abilities and uses
- It can equip a melee weapon: a sword or pike for extra damage, or a Wooden Club to add torpor.
- Harvests with a metal hatchet, pick or sickle.
- A leap attack that hits hard.
- Heals by eating Spoiled Meat.
Mantis breeding
The egg takes 2 h 47 min to hatch and the baby needs 2 d 6 h to reach adulthood at official rates. The egg needs 35-38 °C. On Tharyon (25x hatching and 35x maturation) that drops to about 7 min and 1 h 33 min.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- It takes double damage from projectiles and fire: ranged weapons work well against it.
- It struggles to climb rocks and ledges, so you are fairly safe on high ground.
- A group of Mantises can kill you in a few hits without good armor.
Tame your Mantis faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon taming runs at 8x: a level 150 Mantis is ready in about 3 min instead of 24 min.
- ARK Survival Ascended with crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- 8x taming, 2.5x XP and harvesting, 35x maturation and 25x hatching.
- 11 PvE maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero, Lost Island, Genesis 1, Astraeos and Forglar.
- Automatic events (a supply crate every 60 minutes and an event creature every 70), quests and an in-game shop.
To join, hop into our Discord and use the /link command. See every rate in the rates section.
Mantis taming FAQ
How do you tame a Mantis in ARK?
Passively: hand-feed it Deathworm Horns without knocking it out, waiting between each feeding.
What does a Mantis eat for taming?
Deathworm Horn. Woolly Rhino Horn also works, but it is less effective.
Can you knock out a Mantis to tame it?
No. It is a passive tame and an unconscious Mantis cannot be tamed.
How many horns does a Mantis need?
A level 150 one needs about 8 Deathworm Horns at 1x. On Tharyon (8x) 1 is enough.
What level unlocks the Mantis Saddle?
At level 45.
Why is my Mantis not taming?
It is almost always one of these: it is not hungry yet (it only eats when its food bar drops, so the first bite can take a while), the food in its inventory is not one it accepts, it woke up because torpor ran out, or something is attacking it. Check that the taming bar goes up every time it eats.
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