# Budwing mantids lasting a LONG time without food!



## benmoore (Jun 23, 2007)

Today I was truly amazed!

I bought my first load of mantids about 8-9 months back now and even then they were L3-4. They started to get a bit poorly about 2 months back and I thought I had lost all of them... I had 2 marbled, 2 african and 2 budwings. 2 months later I still hadnt got round to clearing out the tanks - been very hectic/busy recently and I put the tanks in the garage... So after 2 months I decide its time to sort out the mess - I start clearing them out and to my suprise the two budwings were still alive!

2 months without ANY food or ANY water and these things were still alive! Not just alive but they had both moulted - one into an adult and another into a sub-adult... without any food or water for 2 months.

I rushed upstairs, doused in water and threw in some young crickets and now they are sitting on a shelf in my bedroom happily tucking in.

But 2 months! These species are certainly very hardy!

I am sorting out a new enclosure for them as we speak!


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## Butterfly (Jun 23, 2007)

:shock: omg poor things! Thats amazing tho!


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## robo mantis (Jun 23, 2007)

Bugs must have snuck into the containers.


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## benmoore (Jun 23, 2007)

> Bugs must have snuck into the containers.


Nope - 100% sealed off with a fine gauze over the top! I checked the gauze just now and it was not biten through.

They were very thin so obviously had not been eating anything...

They are starting to look plump again already!  

2 months without ANYTHING - these things must have just more or less shut off or something!

Them being alive was suprising... but MOULTING?!! That really shocked me! Full on healthy moults as well!


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## robo mantis (Jun 23, 2007)

hmm wow i didn't know that maybe they ate substrate? I have had budwings before and i had one male that lived 2 years and he could last a while without food.


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## ddvw123abc (Jun 23, 2007)

oooo 2 years luckily i bought two budwings from DeShawn instead of Devils Flower lol but two months wow thats really interesting unless they stored food in them or something


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## robo mantis (Jun 23, 2007)

yeah it lived forever lol my mom named him bill lol


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## benmoore (Jun 23, 2007)

> hmm wow i didn't know that maybe they ate substrate? I have had budwings before and i had one male that lived 2 years and he could last a while without food.


I have not always had much money - these things were kept in plastic pint glasses with a couple of twigs and a sheet of cotton down the side to retain moisture. The top was covered with a material mesh secured with an elastic band. They are both males though so they have much room!

I hope to be able to get them a nicer home some time when I get some money!

But no - there was no substrate to eat and the cotton was untouched.

So weird! These species seem very hardy.


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## robo mantis (Jun 23, 2007)

yeah i guess so.


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## Rick (Jun 23, 2007)

I had a situation like that with some chinese. I thought I got them all out of the container but I didn't. A few were still in there alive a month later.


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## Asa (Jun 23, 2007)

Unbelievable. I guess there is no need to worry if you miss a feeding day...


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## athicks (Jun 24, 2007)

Those are some insane stories you guys. 2 months? I mean, that is just crazy. I guess you had a bit of humidity in your garage as well, maybe they got some moisture out of the air. But I mean, without food? Well, maybe it was dark and they did not think or move at all. I mean, how much energy would they use if they didn't move? Still though, wow.


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## Asa (Jun 24, 2007)

They surpass even human abilities. We should all be mantids!


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## robo mantis (Jun 24, 2007)

Horatio already is lol


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## Asa (Jun 24, 2007)

Heh heh, yeah you're right. He just needs those arms... :lol:


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## robo mantis (Jun 24, 2007)

Cradboard my friend cardboard lol


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## Asa (Jun 24, 2007)

...and six legs.

More cardboard.


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## robo mantis (Jun 24, 2007)

lol


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