Mantids always bite me.

[Stomatopod]

I know for a fact Praying Mantids are docile and I even bred them when I was younger, I have fond memories of holding them for car rides from somebody else's yard to my home.

But in the past 2 years of having them I ALWAYS get bitten. What they'll usually do is peacefully crawl onto my hand, and when they reach for my other they lean down and just start nibbling until the "OW" response happens, confirming any suspicions of whether I'd get bitten. Sometimes they'll just stand still on my arm and lean all the way down to bite, which rules out me putting my fingers stupidly close to their face for a response.

I've had 4 individuals the past few years (all Tenodera Sinensis), with daily mistings, a fly a day, sometimes two, and of them started biting after their last molts without warning. The exception was one who had a really bad molt (like freaky "should I put it out of its misery?" bad, but still lived with normal care.) and threat postured me if I came near it, which I never seen in any other T. Sinensis.

Anyway, was wondering if anybody knows why Praying Mantids hate me so much or what causes this behavior. I did have a creobroter pictipennis that was peaceful but the local ones, not so much.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

They're hungry. Feed them more.

 

[Ratmosphere]

A fly a day probably isn’t enough. Put 3-4 in the enclosure until the mantis gets super fat and refuses food.

 

[Andrea82]

A fly a day is not even close to enough, especially for juvenile or adult T.sinensis.
This is imo a very hungry/food aggressive species which will latch on to everything that looks remotely like food.
I'd feed them a mealworm or waxworm at least every two days or until their abdomen is round enough, and then try handling again. If you want to keep feeding them flies, release some eight flies a day for them.

I don't understand why you fed them so little...?

 

[Stomatopod]

I usually give juveniles 5 fruit flies at a time (actually more like I throw 10 at a time, because they're a pain to actually control, sometimes 5 will be on the wall).

Adults I often would give a fly day, as I figured that would be enough since they're not growing more, but I do find it understandable they need more food. Catching flies might not be my thing, so I'll consider a roach culture before I attempt mantids again. Haven't had them in at least a year now, not going to again until I know I can provide their needs.

 

[Andee]

Most people don't catch the flies, they order them. Flies from the wild is something I avoid feeding at all costs, even if it's something they would naturally eat. As a captive animal our entire presence of mind as their keepers is to make them happy by providing natural and realistic life but not harm them by providing something they would do in the wild just because it's a necessity. Flies are a massive parasite carrier and disease carrier cause of what they eat. Unless you are randomly coming across pollinating species and if you are you must live some place cool XD

 

[Andrea82]

Like Andee said, don't give wild caught prey to your mantids.
I fed my juveniles fly pupae (maggots) from the petshop. No additives. My juveniles would eat three or four per feeding, adults weren't even interested. Superworms are good food for adults, not so much hard parts.

 

[LawnShrimp]

T. sinensis is a species that is very common near me. Out of 3 males and 2 females caught various locations all were easily handleable even when considerably hungry.
When I was in a friend's garage (I assume the mantis entered as a smaller nymph and lived on flies), I spotted a shed skin of a small sinensis and later found the mantis herself, coated in spiderwebs that I freed her from. She was highly stunted for a subadult and hatched into a very small adult, over 1cm smaller than the other females. However, she was absolutely vicious and impossible to handle, doing the same lean-down-and-bite action. She was well fed on wild grasshoppers and other insects as she spent a lot of time outside perched in some flowers, but even after devouring a finger-length wasp-parasitized tomato hornworm, still leaned down and clamped onto my hand. I agree that agressive behavior is a result of hunger, but sometimes it is just the mantis.

 

[shutout2000]

A fly a day probably isn’t enough. Put 3-4 in the enclosure until the mantis gets super fat and refuses food.

Overfeeding is unhealthy for them.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Once the mantis gets fat and refuses food, hows that overfeeding?

 

[shutout2000]

They live a year, nothing wrong with my method. Once the mantis gets fat and refuses food, hows that overfeeding?

I'm going off what I have read on scientific articles.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Well, alright!

 

[Sarkhan42]

I'm going off what I have read on scientific articles.

Do you have a source for that? I'd be interested to read it.

 

[Andrea82]

@Ratmosphere @Sarkhan42

Overfeeding can become dangerous as the abdomen gets too heavy to hold straight. I don't know the English term for it, but it can cause the abdomen to actually fold over and crease where it is connected to the thorax, causing blockage and sometimes rupture. Once this happens, there's nothing you can do but euthanize the mantis.
I think this is what @shutout2000 means.
But 'feeding until full' like @Ratmosphere says does not have to mean overfeeding. Just feed it till its abdomen is round-ish but doesn't show strain between the segments of the abdomen.

 

[LawnShrimp]

Feed juveniles until full, but adults can be kept leaner as it does extend their lifespan. Like a lot of insects, when given too much of a good thing, causes mantids' metabolisms to overwork and the whole creature burns out. Still, it is unwise to starve them (although mantids can go a long time without food).