# food restriction = extended lifespan ?



## Johnald Chaffinch (Dec 20, 2006)

some studies have shown that animal lifespans can be extended through calorie restriction, if they still get the required nutrients.

have you found that mantids you've fed little have lived longer than normal? and which species' this has worked best with?


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## Rick (Dec 20, 2006)

I have some mantids right now that are subadults. One of them escaped soon after they hatched. He roams around my bug room catching loose flies. He is about the size of an L4 or smaller while the rest are subadults. Not sure if he will actually live longer or not though but he is growing much slower.


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## yen_saw (Dec 27, 2006)

What i noticed was the mantis lifespan reduce greatly when both food supply and temperature are low, but if i feed them less food at room temp. (75F-80F), they will either die of starvation or mismolting. This happened often on flower type mantis and smaller nymphs. I believed temperature increase their metabolism and therefore mantis need more food to grow, but not interested in food when temp. drops too low.


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## xenuwantsyou (Dec 27, 2006)

In the book about mantids my parents got me for x-mas, one study showed that feeding too much reduces the mantid's efficiency when it digests, hough that's probably true for any organism. Another study of interest concluded that the mantids that reach adulthood sooner have a longer life expextancy. Pretty interesting and opposite to what I would have thought.


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## sk8erkho (Jan 3, 2007)

Where can I find micro crickets my local pet shop only carries those rather gross looking overly large crickets we feed the adult.


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## Ian (Jan 3, 2007)

> Where can I find micro crickets my local pet shop only carries those rather gross looking overly large crickets we feed the adult.


If your shop doesn't supply them, then simply look online.

Or, you could give breeding them a go, I have done it before and was pretty easy, but not very practical.


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## Black*Fox (Jun 25, 2007)

I haven't ever tried to restrict a mantids eating yet, because this will be my first batch. But I've had plenty of other types of pets such as toads and fish that I've found do well with the restricted feeding idea. For instance, the normal life span of a beta (fish) is about one year, but some of mine have lived over three or four.

So, I bet it might work with mantids too! We just have to remember the difference between 'restricted feeding' and 'starving to death.'


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## Asa (Jun 25, 2007)

> Where can I find micro crickets my local pet shop only carries those rather gross looking overly large crickets we feed the adult.


Crickets really aren't too good for younger mantids. Unless you have a more exotic kind that doesn't grow very large.


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 25, 2007)

My son caught a Chinese mantid I set outside when it was a nymph, I have some I keep inside and feed everyday, the difference between them is emence. The one from outside, is plumper, greener and much brighter looking all around. I live in farm country so we have plenty of food for them outside, they seem to do pretty good feeding themselves ( as God ment them to do) without my help. They know how much to eat and probably never eat too much, the ones that have stomachs bursting is probably (and this is just a suposistion) because they are bored to tears and eating is all they can do caged up! Ok now I am sad that I have them at all!


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## Horatio (Jun 28, 2007)

Now don't get us all sad!!! If I didn't have mantids inside, how would I have learnt all about them? I have a lot of kids at my children's school, in Girl Guides and in Sunday School that have watched the mantids grow up. These children and adults all have much more of an appreciation for the mantids. Although we are imperfect and will never be able to replicate God's world for the mantids, we can just do our best studying God's little creatures and sharing that knowledge. Besides, I think my mantids Loretta and Larry kind of like me :wink: H.


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## Sparky (Jul 3, 2007)

I didn't know mantids can get bored. Can they?

I think all they really want is a place to hang out, VIP care, and an infinite amount of food......and s.e.x.

Hek, if I didnt care about family and lived by myself I wouldn't mind all that special care at all


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## AFK (Jul 3, 2007)

mantids are notorious poker players. deprive them of their game, and they go bonkers


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## Asa (Jul 3, 2007)

They would be dead of boredom if they truly had feelings.


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## colddigger (Jul 3, 2007)

don't go turning this place into another emotion thread



> In the book about mantids my parents got me for x-mas, one study showed that feeding too much reduces the mantid's efficiency when it digests, hough that's probably true for any organism. Another study of interest concluded that the mantids that reach adulthood sooner have a longer life expextancy. Pretty interesting and opposite to what I would have thought.


well, the digestion thing does make sense

the more food there is the less the acids can concentrate on pieces thus less is digested and so less can be absorbed


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## Black*Fox (Jul 6, 2007)

Maybe the reason mantids live longer with less feedings_ is_ emotional. Maybe they feel they have something to look forward to; their next meal. It keeps them going because it's all they have to worry about.

In the wild, they would have to worry about the next meal, the temperature, the weather, everything thats trying to eat them... to much man!

The inside mantids that get feed regularly just have it too good and maybe _they_ are the ones that die of bordom.

(Right now I think I'm the one dying of bordom though.)


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## Asa (Jul 6, 2007)

> Maybe the reason mantids live longer with less feedings_ is_ emotional. Maybe they feel they have something to look forward to; their next meal. It keeps them going because it's all they have to worry about.In the wild, they would have to worry about the next meal, the temperature, the weather, everything thats trying to eat them... to much man!
> 
> The inside mantids that get feed regularly just have it too good and maybe _they_ are the ones that die of bordom.
> 
> (Right now I think I'm the one dying of bordom though.)


Um doubt it :lol:


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