Springbok mantis (Miomantis caffra)

[Violet]

My juvenile springbok mantis (Miomantis caffra). He/she is just over an inch. Currently feeding on wax moth and meal worms. They are an introduced species here in New Zealand, I found this one in the garden.

Questions and comments welcome

 

[ZergFront]

Neat. I couldn't get mine to eat a mealworm. He lunged at it then backed off. Likes blowflies more.

 

[CSyde65]

I know this thread is ancient but you're supposed to kill those. They are an invasive species in our country. They are a threat to our poor New Zealand Pray Mantises.

 

[truecreature]

Taking it from the wild and keeping it as a pet would serve the same purpose though, removing its chance to breed

 

[CSyde65]

Yeah true. Just as long as it "did" remove it's chance to breed, and worse, pushing out our native Pray Mantises.

 

[Tenevanica]

Yeah true. Just as long as it "did" remove it's chance to breed, and worse, pushing out our native Pray Mantises.

You mean praying mantises? A few gardeners killing a few mantises isn't going to cause the invasive species to go extinct! Do you have any idea how ecology works? Once something is established, it's nearly impossible to get rid of it. M. caffra isn't going to "push out" your native mantids either. They'd have to breed to plague proportions for that to happen, and they may actually be beneficial as they will eat pest insects.

 

[Tenevanica]

I know this thread is ancient but you're supposed to kill those. They are an invasive species in our country. They are a threat to our poor New Zealand Pray Mantises.

Please don't kill those. It's pointless and cruel.

 

[CSyde65]

I never said I wanted the invasive species to go extinct, and I never said that a few gardeners would be able to do it. But it's still a good idea to kill the invasive species upon discovery, since they compete against the New Zealand ones. If we don't do something about it, the New Zealand ones may be displaced but not extinct completely, and we'll only find them out in the country, or on shore islands with only the native Pray Mantises.

 

[Tenevanica]

I never said I wanted the invasive species to go extinct, and I never said that a few gardeners would be able to do it.

Exactly. A few gardeners won't do it. It's pointless to try to eradicate them that way. Why do it if it won't work? ESPECIALLY when it involves killing a living animal.

If you're not going to kill all of them in New Zealand, why kill any at all? Insects reproduce so quickly, that they're not going anywhere. You may as well consider them native. I don't personally think that they will be a threat to the native mantids. They do compete for food, but food is rather abundant, and I don't think one is better adapted than the other. They'll eventually balance each-other out. It's not like they're hurting humans either...

That being said, it's impossible to predict the ecological consequences of something like this. All that's certain is they're not going anywhere.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

I never said I wanted the invasive species to go extinct, and I never said that a few gardeners would be able to do it. But it's still a good idea to kill the invasive species upon discovery, since they compete against the New Zealand ones. If we don't do something about it, the New Zealand ones may be displaced but not extinct completely, and we'll only find them out in the country, or on shore islands with only the native Pray Mantises.

Catch, sell or feed them to something bigger. It works out for both the ecosystem or your pet.

Edit: yes I know this thread is old but who cares!