A couple more Newbie questions

[toddw]

Can juvenile mantids eat fruit flies? I mean like maybe L4 or L5? I'm guessing they might be too small for them to even hold on to. Mine have outgrown fruit flies faster than I though possible, and I guess I'll try mealworms or some larger flies. Mealworms I can get locally, flies are on the way but will take a few days to get here. I was hoping they could eat a few more fruit flies until I get the new feeders going.

When you take them out to hold them, are there any tricks for getting them back in their enclosure. It seems awkward, they keep wanting to climb back up my arm when I try to put them back! i did try using a small stick. Still they are pretty good at reversing direction and climbing back up the stick when I put it in there. I guess they are wanting to stay on my hand/arm!

 

[toddw]

New lesson learned yesterday. Mantids can move FAST! I was trying to get my Chinese mantis back in its large cup yesterday. This particular one seems to always want out. Very inquisitive and wants to explore. I had 'im out, and I took the cup lid and tried to get him to move to it. Then I can flip it over and seal up the cup, and presto, he is back in his enclosure. I had done this a few times already - seemed to work. This time the mantis moved quickly to the edge while I was flipping it over (trying to escape). I ended up clipping off the end of one of his tibia when I sealed the cup, maybe half the tibia gone. I felt terrible~! I have read various things about whether it will grow back. I think this guy is due to molt pretty soon, so I hope it will. I did see him grab and start munching on a fruit fly today so I think it will probably be ok. Back to the drawing board on how to get them back in their enclosures!

 

[Kitara]

When you take them out to hold them, are there any tricks for getting them back in their enclosure.

I have this bunch of leaves that I get them to climb on and then stick that into the enclosure with them on it. Otherwise, no. I feel like they'd just be happy enough staying on my hand for good.

New lesson learned yesterday. Mantids can move FAST!

Hahahaha I learned that lesson too. I tried to gently prod it with a paintbrush to get it back into its enclosure and it just wanted nothing do with that and went running. I don't know enough about mantids to know if it will grow back or not, but I'm going to guess yes with the next molt. Even so, he'll adapt with his broken leg. Don't beat yourself up about it.

I can't answer the fruit fly question because I don't have the same mantids that you do. I'm sure I fed mine fruit flies entirely too long. Now they get blue bottle flies.

 

[toddw]

I have this bunch of leaves that I get them to climb on and then stick that into the enclosure with them on it. Otherwise, no. I feel like they'd just be happy enough staying on my hand for good.

Hahahaha I learned that lesson too. I tried to gently prod it with a paintbrush to get it back into its enclosure and it just wanted nothing do with that and went running. I don't know enough about mantids to know if it will grow back or not, but I'm going to guess yes with the next molt. Even so, he'll adapt with his broken leg. Don't beat yourself up about it.

I can't answer the fruit fly question because I don't have the same mantids that you do. I'm sure I fed mine fruit flies entirely too long. Now they get blue bottle flies.

Good suggestion about the branch! Of the two Chinese mantids I have, one is the injured one. He definitely can still eat fruit flies. The other one is larger and I think one molt ahead. I haven't seen him eating fruit flies, but did eat a cricket or two. I did a lot of hand wringing about whether to it a cricket. I have heard both sides of it. I would have preferred to play it safe, and I tried my darndest to get them to move to worms (meal, wax and soldier fly). No luck at all on the worms, so I let the larger one eat a cricket (store bought, not wild). He seems ok so far, but I'm going to keep trying on the worms. Any suggestions to get them weaned onto worms? Or maybe wait for the soldier flies to hatch and try that. I was also going to get some bluebottle fly larvae but couldn't find anyone who had them.

 

[Kitara]

Any suggestions to get them weaned onto worms?

I haven't ever gotten mine to eat worms. I tried a while back and gave up pretty much immediately because nobody was interested. I'm pretty newish to mantises as well. I have a ghost mantis that I've had for 16 months and another I don't remember the name of for 7 months, but I got her at L5. I also had an orchid mantis and an Idolomantis diabolica, but both of those have passed on now. I only feed them blue bottle flies, but in a pinch if I happen to run out before the next batch has hatched/arrived, I use B. lateralis (red runner cockroaches). I put them in a little cup because they can't climb the sides and then I just hold it near the mantis and she just grabs it. I buy the B. lateralis for my tarantulas so I always have some if I need them. The blue bottle flies are just easier for me.

I buy blue bottle flies from Josh's Frogs, Mantid Kingdom, Rainbow Mealworms, and US Mantis. They're all out of stock at some point so I just rotate between them. I don't like spending so much, but nowhere around here sells anything like that.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

New lesson learned yesterday. Mantids can move FAST! I was trying to get my Chinese mantis back in its large cup yesterday. This particular one seems to always want out. Very inquisitive and wants to explore. I had 'im out, and I took the cup lid and tried to get him to move to it. Then I can flip it over and seal up the cup, and presto, he is back in his enclosure. I had done this a few times already - seemed to work. This time the mantis moved quickly to the edge while I was flipping it over (trying to escape). I ended up clipping off the end of one of his tibia when I sealed the cup, maybe half the tibia gone. I felt terrible~! I have read various things about whether it will grow back. I think this guy is due to molt pretty soon, so I hope it will. I did see him grab and start munching on a fruit fly today so I think it will probably be ok. Back to the drawing board on how to get them back in their enclosures!

The tibia will grow back over the next few molts. What kind of fruit flies? Melenogaster or hydei? Hydei may be okay for a little while. Often mantids won’t take mealworms unless you crush or remove their heads them hold the guts to their mouth. Do NOT use crickets they harbor and carry bacteria, disease, and parasite such as horse hair worms.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

I haven't ever gotten mine to eat worms. I tried a while back and gave up pretty much immediately because nobody was interested. I'm pretty newish to mantises as well. I have a ghost mantis that I've had for 16 months and another I don't remember the name of for 7 months, but I got her at L5. I also had an orchid mantis and an Idolomantis diabolica, but both of those have passed on now. I only feed them blue bottle flies, but in a pinch if I happen to run out before the next batch has hatched/arrived, I use B. lateralis (red runner cockroaches). I put them in a little cup because they can't climb the sides and then I just hold it near the mantis and she just grabs it. I buy the B. lateralis for my tarantulas so I always have some if I need them. The blue bottle flies are just easier for me.

I buy blue bottle flies from Josh's Frogs, Mantid Kingdom, Rainbow Mealworms, and US Mantis. They're all out of stock at some point so I just rotate between them. I don't like spending so much, but nowhere around here sells anything like that.

Be careful with US Mantis, he is known for scamming a lot. Also shamed a few people for their jobs.

 

[Kitara]

Be careful with US Mantis, he is known for scamming a lot. Also shamed a few people for their jobs.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[toddw]

Flies are Hydei. I'll try the half worm with guts exposed thing and see if they bite. I also tried honey and banana just for a snack, but no interest yet. No more crickets I guess. I saw somewhere where a person had a mantid or mantids eating canned cat food. That would be convenient but guessing not the proper balance of protein and other nutrients for mantids.

 

[toddw]

Amazing! The mantis with the missing half of his femur was munching on a fly this morning, using just the one good appendage. I was more than a bit surprised.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Amazing! The mantis with the missing half of his femur was munching on a fly this morning, using just the one good appendage. I was more than a bit surprised.

They adapt rather well to injuries.

 

[toddw]

They adapt rather well to injuries.

...an experiment I hope not to repeat though