How to find and tame a Mantis in Ark: Survival Ascended

A handy one to have.

A Mantis standing in the desert in Ark: Survival Ascended Scorched Earth
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Scorched Earth saw a host of new creatures introduced in Ark: Survival Ascended and the Mantis is among them. If you’re on the hunt for this giant bug, we’ve got the details you need.

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Mantis are useful creatures in Ark: Survival Ascended because they can hold and use tools. They’re also worth hunting down for materials as they can drop important resources like Chitin and Organic Polymer.

If you’re looking to add a Mantis to your collection of tamed creatures or want to hunt them down for resources, we’ve got all the details you need to know here.

All Mantis locations on Scorched Earth in Ark: Survival Ascended

The Scorched Earth map in Ark: Survival Ascended with Mantis spawn locations marked.
Head to the desert. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Mantis is one of the new creatures in Ark: Survival Ascended, added as part of the Scorched Earth update and should not be too difficult to locate if you head to the right spots—although you should take care of nearby dangers.

Mantis can commonly be found in the desert areas on the edge of the Scorched Earth map, and it shouldn’t take long to locate a Mantis in this area. However, this location is also home to deadly creatures like the Deathworm and Fasolasuchus, so it isn’t the best area to tame a Mantis.

If you’re looking to tame a Mantis, head southwest of the river that runs through the Scorched Earth map. The general area to search is around these coordinates: Lat: 69.8 Lon: 61.9.

Though Mantis can be harder to find in this area, it is safer than venturing out into the desert, though you do still need to be wary of Raptors, Argentavis, and Sabertooth. You can also find Mantis in the caves found across the map.

How to tame a Mantis in Ark: Survival Ascended

A player in Ark: Survival Ascended Scorched Earth riding a Mantis.
Yeehaw. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To tame a Mantis in Ark: Survival Ascended, you need to gather Deathworm Horns by killing Deathworms that are lurking in the desert. Though you can use Woolly Rhino Horns as an alternative, they cannot be found on Scorched Earth.

Along with Deathworms Horns as food, it’s wise to bring Bug Repellant to keep the Mantis calm and avoid the attention of other Mantis, Pulmonoscorpius, or other bug creatures nearby. I also advise using Ghillie Armor if you have it.

Mantis are a passive tame in Ark: Survival Ascended and do not need to be knocked out to tame. Instead, place the Deathworm Horn in the final slot in your hotbar and carefully approach the Mantis you want to tame—hitting the feed prompt when it appears.

As the taming process can be long, it’s best to trap the Mantis by building a small area. When done correctly, part of the Mantis will get stuck outside the trap, and you can feed by approaching that part without having to worry about accidentally making the Mantis aggressive.

Once tamed, a Mantis can be ridden when equipped with a Mantis Saddle—unlocked at Survivor Level 45. It costs 18 Engram Points to unlock and can be crafted directly in your inventory with 75x Fiber, 35x Metal Ingot, and 120x Hide.

Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.