# My Idolo lives in a towel like a taco!



## LLCoolJew (Mar 1, 2012)

My Idolo has been living on borrowed time for quite awhile now. I'm shocked that she's still alive, to be honest. For the last few months, she has been unable to hold herself up in her terrarium, keeps falling, and I continued to find her motionless at the bottom of her enclosure. It's been quite sad to see, and I was preparing to put her into the freezer.

Instead.. and bare with me... I have wrapped her up in a towel like a little taco, plunked her into a deli cup, and that is how she has been living for the last two weeks. Surprisingly... she seems to enjoy it!! I give her water and hand feed her in her towel. She sleeps there, too! Whenever I upwrap her to clean her waste, she protests wildly until I wrap her back up again. And once she is back in her towel, she just sits there peacefully. .

I take her cup with me to whichever room I happen to be in so that she can hang out with me, and I also put her on my nightstand while I sleep, because I don't want her to die alone. She lets me pet her, stroke her head, her raptors, etc., and she just looks up at me like she's glad that I'm there. It's actually quite sweet. Yeah. I know. We're weird.


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## frogparty (Mar 1, 2012)

That's pretty sweet indeed


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## Davedood (Mar 1, 2012)

That's pretty cool.


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## Rick (Mar 1, 2012)

This place gets stranger and stranger by the year.


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## lunarstorm (Mar 1, 2012)

Very cool, she's lucky to have ya.

Any idea how long she's been an adult?


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## LLCoolJew (Mar 1, 2012)

Rick said:


> This place gets stranger and stranger by the year.


LOL.. Ya. Sorry, Rick.



lunarstorm said:


> Very cool, she's lucky to have ya.
> 
> Any idea how long she's been an adult?


She's been an adult for about 4.5 months, now.


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## Bryce08 (Mar 1, 2012)

wow, now thats a sight


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## twolfe (Mar 1, 2012)

That is sweet! She is lucky to have you.

I have hundreds of mantids right now (lots of nymphs), and it's harder to get to know individuals, but one died today that has been special to me.


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## brancsikia339 (Mar 1, 2012)

That's so sweet! Exactly what I would've done!


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## Chivalry (Mar 1, 2012)

You're an awesome bugmom


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## angelofdeathzz (Mar 1, 2012)

She definitely went to the right home.  You've been amazing with her, I'm thinking of sending you all my elderly mantis for safe keeping!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 1, 2012)

haha, you and I must be sisters! They do so love a nice little towel! Rick, you ain't seen nothin yet! :donatello:


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## Termite48 (Mar 1, 2012)

You are definitely a devoted mantis mom. Between you and R.S, and T.W, it is hard to know who has the disease worse. I know there are more than I mentioned, but just who came forth in this thread and whom I know. I am not that devoted to wrap up a mantis like a taco. The freezer is too convenient for me when the end is so close.


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## LLCoolJew (Mar 1, 2012)

Rich S said:


> I am not that devoted to wrap up a mantis like a taco. The freezer is too convenient for me when the end is so close.


Thanks! Yeah.. I was actually wrapping her up in that towel &amp; cup to put her in the freezer. But I just couldn't do it!! And that's how she got in her taco to begin with


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## RobR1976 (Mar 1, 2012)

How cute! what a lucky mantid having you as its momma!


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## sporeworld (Mar 2, 2012)

Amen! Been there, enjoyed that.

Just love the underdog.


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## Krissim Klaw (Mar 2, 2012)

Lawls I think this is the closest I've come to being tempted to try this species. She sounds so cute, although I am sorry she is aging so roughly. I find myself spending a lot of time with my old girl, Tinkerbell. She is going on 14 months now and you can see the age in her. You know a mantis is old when their mandibles droop when not in use. She spends much of her time on my desk sitting on her plant. You got to love the senile old lady mantises, especially with their delayed reaction times. :wub:


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## ismart (Mar 2, 2012)

Mantis taco! Sounds delish!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 2, 2012)

there will be no eating of senile old ladies on this forum! :innocent:


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## warpdrive (Mar 2, 2012)

hibiscusmile said:


> there will be no eating of senile old ladies on this forum! :innocent:


at least not until I get my flys in the mail. :tt2: 

Harry


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## Zalonik (Mar 2, 2012)

Rick said:


> This place gets stranger and stranger by the year.


LOL, that got me laughing.

.And I think what you are doing is wonderful. She looks cozy! :sleeping: Bugmom of the year award, haha!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 2, 2012)

haha, u bad boy Harry!


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## ScienceGirl (Jun 5, 2013)

I think it's rather sweet. ^_^ I'm glad that she seems to be doing well with this approach, and that freezer time didn't take it's place.


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## BugLover (Jun 5, 2013)

Great Idea! She looks comfy :sleeping:


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## Digger (Jun 6, 2013)

At this post, she's long gone - but what a great story and photos ! Taco Bed in Mantis Old Age Home.


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## glock34girl (Jun 10, 2013)

Lol I have an orchid in a similar set up dice she cannot grip.


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 10, 2013)

and they all say we are weird cause we like bugs, if they really knew.....


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