So yeah I caught that beetle v2, mantis edition

[Domanating]

I've always found "walking sticks" interesting, but I never see them anymore...

Would they be a specie of mantis?

You do have some species of stick insects where you live, including Megaphasma denticrus, a very large stick insect that can reach 11cm or 4.5 inches.

Actually mantises and stick insects are not closely related. In fact, the praying-mantis has evolved from the cockroach.


I am currently keeping a very common species of walking stick called Indian stick insect that does not need to mate to have young. Females lay dozens of eggs from which hatch copies of their mother. Male Indian insects are very rare and I never seen one. Because of this mass production of stick insects, I feed them to my mantises when I'm low on food.

Edit: Stick/leaf insects are a very boring pet to keep, imo. They are extremely easy to care, they are harmless and dull and almost all species are mainly nocturnal

[Naryar]

Yes, stick insects are boring.

Talking of mantises,



Caught it this morning while picking potatoes. I would suppose it's a Mantis religiosa and a female one.

There are a few beetles feeding on these potatoes, I fed one to my mantis but she doesn't seem interested. It's the right size to go in the pincers, let's hope she goes through the cuticle.

although the beetle isn't moving a lot. How can I expect it to be caught like this ?

Maybe I'll start to keep mantises. although I'll need to breed flies or something.

[Squirrel_Monkey]

I had a Mantis in my hair once.

[Domanating]

I would suppose it's a Mantis religiosa and a female one.

Yes and yes. Looks like a fresh young adult

There are a few beetles feeding on these potatoes, I fed one to my mantis but she doesn't seem interested. It's the right size to go in the pincers, let's hope she goes through the cuticle.

although the beetle isn't moving a lot. How can I expect it to be caught like this ?

Maybe I'll start to keep mantises. although I'll need to breed flies or something.

The beetle will eventually move to forage. The hungrier it gets, the more it will move.

But beetles are a tricky insect to give for 2 reasons:
> Many give off a stinky smell that makes them inedible. This can also make them poisonous as well.
> Due to the hard shell of most beetles, they usually aren't worth the energy and so the mantis lets it go. Starving praying-mantises however, won't give up so easily.

If you have any grassy fields near you, grasshoppers would be a prime choice as food source. Fresh water fishing bait/asticot is also a good option. I buy asticot when food gets scarce during winter.

[Naryar]

I stunned a rather large fly and fed it to her, she devoured it.

No idea where the beetle is. I'm not finding any beetle spare parts in her pot so I guess he went away or maybe he's still hiding.

Yeah I've got plenty of grasshoppers outside, although they are rather small. Or I can just go fly hunting in the house...

[Naryar]

Now I caught another mantis. Potato-harvesting does seem to work wonders for my insect work.



Empusa pennata possibly ?

Yeah, it's a youngster. Now to find something her size to feed her...

[Domanating]

No idea where the beetle is. I'm not finding any beetle spare parts in her pot so I guess he went away or maybe he's still hiding.

If you put sand or dirt in the mantis enclosure it should be hiding for sure. I doubt the mantis would be so clean eating a hard shell beetle.

Yeah I've got plenty of grasshoppers outside, although they are rather small. Or I can just go fly hunting in the house...

1cm long grasshoppers are big enough to attract your mantis attention. A female however, specially an adult will require a lot of them per day to satisfy her.

Now I caught another mantis. Potato-harvesting does seem to work wonders for my insect work.

(Image removed from quote.)

Empusa pennata possibly ?

Yeah, it's a youngster. Now to find something her size to feed her...

I hate you already for finding that one 

Seriously though, I think you're pretty much right with the species but I have 0 experience with it, since I never actually found and kept one (I wish). I can deduce it has similar care needs because they live in the same environment.
With a good quality macro picture of its butt I might be able to identify its gender, if you want. Although not very clear, the antennae look very thin so I bet it's a female.

[MassimoV]

Potato-harvesting does seem to work wonders for my insect work.

So do you live on a farm?

[Naryar]

The beetle's still here, but it's barely even moving from the bottom of the enclosure and the mantis keeps herself in the top.

I fed her three small grasshoppers yesterday, and one rather large fly the day before. I will give her a similar amount today, maybe even start to breed grasshoppers.

The empusa i'm not so sure. I may release her because nothing I fed her seems to attract her attention, well it's a larva.

Potato-harvesting does seem to work wonders for my insect work.

So do you live on a farm?

Nope, although I live next to an ex-farm. We do have a few crops though.

[Domanating]

The empusa i'm not so sure. I may release her because nothing I fed her seems to attract her attention, well it's a larva.

There might be a reason why she isn't eating. I'm guessing she's 1 or 2 molts away from becoming an adult and by that age the wing buds are clearly visible. If you notice they are swollen, like a small bulge on each, it's because a molt is about to happen. All arthropods in general go through a fasting period that can last up to a week before molting. For a praying-mantis it can vary a lot. They can molt immediately after a big meal or go through up to 4-5 days without eating anything.
If a molt is imminent, they need to be hanging upside down for it to happen. The rule of thumb for a mantis keeper is keeping it in a container at least 3 times the length of the mantis in height for a successful molt to happen. I sometimes break the rule and nothing harmful happens, though.

The opposite can also happen. She might not be eating because she just freshly molted and her skin needs to harden. The fasting period in this case generally lasts only 3 or 4 days maximum. You can see if that's the case, if you ever noticed her skin getting darker by the day.

[Naryar]

Still going OK, although I'm pretty sure she's getting slower with age.



Fly has been doing like 15 turns round around the pot and mantis still fails at catching.

But then again it's a bloody insect, it doesn't have memory or any intelligence watsoever. also she ate 4 flies today.

I expect her to live still maybe one month.

edit: OK; just one minute before she was eating a fly... on her back. and that while being all chill. OK. Officially. What the ****.

I mean every time she falls she does flail to get back on her feet but not while she was eating.

Too bad I didn't get her as a pic, she finished her meal before I finished the post. Flies aren't large meals, although it DOES change from grasshoppers...

[helloface]

Cool. Did you name her yet?

[MassimoV]

Name her Felicia. That's a cute name.

[Naryar]

cute

You do know praying mantises eat their prey while alive and still trashing, do you ?

Maybe I should name her something more violent... but then I'll be stupid

[MassimoV]

Yeah but look at it. It's adorable.

[HurricaneAndrew]

Name it Ass Ravager.

[Domanating]

Don't underestimate their brains, m8. Excluding social insects (ants, bees, wasps, etc) The praying-mantis is the 2nd most intelligent insect in the world, beaten by its closest relative, the cockroach.
Through repetitive stimulation, they actually are able to learn stuff. Simple stuff obviously, but the brains are there.

If you're lucky enough, she might live long enough to see the next year. It's rare but happens.

Yeah but look at it. It's adorable.

Still adorable?

[AlexGRFan97]

Is that mantis making a snake its bitch?

[Badnik96]

Pretty sure that's a lizard of some sort, not a snake.

[Domanating]

I do know lizard species that do not have legs but snakes with legs I don't think so.

Pretty sure that's a lizard of some sort, not a snake.

That's right. They are very common around here.