# Fruit and veg for Orchid Mantis



## bugzilla (Apr 28, 2008)

I just watched a video on you tube of an orchid female eating a chunk of banana and also saw a picture of a male somewhere eating an orchid flower :huh: .

would offering such foods be a good idea and would they naturally eat such things?


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## Rick (Apr 28, 2008)

They don't eat those things naturally and I suggest you don't feed it to them. There will be people on here that will tell you that they feed their mantids things like banana or hamburger. While they may eat it if you put it against their mouth just keep in mind they don't eat stuff like that in the wild.


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## bugzilla (Apr 28, 2008)

Thanks Rick

Heres a link to the

. She looks to be relishing the banana


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## Empiu (Apr 28, 2008)

bugzilla said:


> Thanks RickHeres a link to the


I think she is only drinking off the damp. But orchids sometimes like to eat honey with bee pollen if they step on it.


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## OGIGA (Apr 28, 2008)

I can't imagine an orchid mantis eating an orchid flower. I guess you'd have to make the mantis think the flower was alive.


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## bugzilla (Apr 28, 2008)

Found the picture of the mantis eating the orchid here. Definitly not mistaken identity!


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## OGIGA (Apr 28, 2008)

Wow, I never thought it would do that.


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## Ben.M (Apr 28, 2008)

Some mantids may eat banana because it is a good source of pottasium and is moist, so its a mantis vitimin shake really


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## hibiscusmile (May 2, 2008)

Of course they like a banana once in a while, we like ice cream they like nanas! and honey


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## Malnra (May 2, 2008)

it could just be drinking the moisture off the orchid ... /shrug


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## Rob Byatt (May 3, 2008)

Geoff_K said:


> it could just be drinking the moisture off the orchid ... /shrug


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## matt020593 (May 3, 2008)

Mantids will eat bits of banana and other sweet fruits. It kind of substitutes the sweet pollen and stuff that they'd get in the wild from their food. If you put a lump of mushy banana in their cage they go and find it. It's just a treat though, Psuedocreobotra love it :lol:  .

Matt


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## Peter Clausen (May 3, 2008)

bugzilla said:


> Found the picture of the mantis eating the orchid here. Definitly not mistaken identity!


I took that photo a long time ago. It don't think it actually consumed any of the orchid flower. It was just sort of chewing some liquids out of it. I'm sorry for leaving that misleading title above the pictures. That part of my site is from 2001 and that was one of my first experiences with orchid mantises. At the time, I did think it might have been trying to gather some nutrients from the flower. Perhaps it was, but more than likely it was just thirsty.


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## bugzilla (May 3, 2008)

Peter said:


> I took that photo a long time ago. It don't think it actually consumed any of the orchid flower. It was just sort of chewing some liquids out of it. I'm sorry for leaving that misleading title above the pictures. That part of my site is from 2001 and that was one of my first experiences with orchid mantises. At the time, I did think it might have been trying to gather some nutrients from the flower. Perhaps it was, but more than likely it was just thirsty.


Doh, had me fooled at least :lol: 

It would probably make sense that they may nibble on orchids though since they live on the fower in the wild!


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## OGIGA (May 3, 2008)

Maybe they do that for the moisture and end up getting nutrients as well. Sounds like a real possibility to me.


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## Morpheus uk (May 4, 2008)

I`ll go try it now with one of my psuedo`s, i now and then feed a slice of apple to my phasmids


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## Morpheus uk (May 4, 2008)

Female loved it but may couldnt care less :lol: 







Thier bound to come across open fruit in the wild, i put the bannana in front of her and she walked over and munched


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## Morpheus uk (May 4, 2008)

No one interested


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## asdsdf (May 4, 2008)

Nope...  

Nah, most of us were just sleeping...

A while ago, my C. modesta hated bannana. Once they touched it, they started running away.


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## Morpheus uk (May 4, 2008)

Oh ###### yeah different time


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## bugzilla (May 5, 2008)

Morpheus uk said:


> Female loved it but may couldnt care less :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cool picture. She's obviously enjoying it so would offering occassional fruit be beneficial?


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