# Feeding problems



## fatal_mantis (Apr 16, 2009)

I have an adult Egyptian mantis that I raised from a L2 Nymph that I've been having some problems with. Ever since his final molt to adult, I have had trouble getting him to eat. Its not that he's not interested in prey; he will grab the first thing that comes near him. It's just that after eating for maybe 30 seconds he will drop it, most of the time the insect is still alive. I've tried house flies, blue bottle flies, crickets, and meal worms but he does it for everything. He's been like this for over two weeks now.

Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can do?


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## kamakiri (Apr 16, 2009)

I don't have any experience with egyptian mantises, but often adult males don't have much of an appetite.


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## PhilinYuma (Apr 16, 2009)

fatal_mantis said:


> I have an adult Egyptian mantis that I raised from a L2 Nymph that I've been having some problems with. Ever since his final molt to adult, I have had trouble getting him to eat. Its not that he's not interested in prey; he will grab the first thing that comes near him. It's just that after eating for maybe 30 seconds he will drop it, most of the time the insect is still alive. I've tried house flies, blue bottle flies, crickets, and meal worms but he does it for everything. He's been like this for over two weeks now. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can do?


Male mantids have to strike a ballance between eating enough to mate and staying light enough to fly easily to finad a mate.

Sounds as though he's managing to do that.


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## Orin (Apr 16, 2009)

It doesn't sound very good, have you tried to mate him with a female?


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 16, 2009)

He is thirsty. They dont need much food, but they need water every day with the mios!


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## Orin (Apr 16, 2009)

The males of that species don't eat much but he shouldn't be throwing down all his food without eating. Of course if you can get him to mate successfully it doesn't matter if his food appetite is minimal.


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 17, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> He is thirsty. They dont need much food, but they need water every day with the mios!


I mist the enclosure at least once a day or more if the humidity in the room is low.

Also I don't have a female of this species so I really can't breed him. I'm not sure where to order any adults let alone someplace were I can request a female. He was actually one of the mystery mantises I received from your website.


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## kamakiri (Apr 17, 2009)

fatal_mantis said:


> I mist the enclosure at least once a day or more if the humidity in the room is low.Also I don't have a female of this species so I really can't breed him. I'm not sure where to order any adults let alone someplace were I can request a female. He was actually one of the mystery mantises I received from your website.


Look further down the forum listings. There is a place to buy, sell, and trade mantises!


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## Rick (Apr 17, 2009)

If it is truly a male that sounds perfectly normal. Those guys are tiny and hardly eat anything really so half a bluebottle sounds about right.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 17, 2009)

I may have a girlie for you, let me check!


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 17, 2009)

also r u sure it is egyptian? the parva looks a lot like them.


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 17, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> also r u sure it is egyptian? the parva looks a lot like them.


I'm pretty sure but I could be wrong. Here are some pictures. He was a very pale cream color until his last instar


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 17, 2009)

Rick said:


> If it is truly a male that sounds perfectly normal. Those guys are tiny and hardly eat anything really so half a bluebottle sounds about right.


But he doesn't even eat half. Most of the time he takes a small chunk, smaller than half the size of a house fly head. However he is still really active. The first thing he does when I take him out is fly into my face.


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## Rick (Apr 17, 2009)

fatal_mantis said:


> But he doesn't even eat half. Most of the time he takes a small chunk, smaller than half the size of a house fly head. However he is still really active. The first thing he does when I take him out is fly into my face.


Males don't eat much. If he acts fine otherwise I wouldn't worry. Why do you take him out?


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 17, 2009)

Rick said:


> Males don't eat much. If he acts fine otherwise I wouldn't worry. Why do you take him out?


I take him out so I can clean the cage. I let him sit on my plants at the window while I clean the silk plants and replace the substrate and such.

But if you think he's fine then thats good. It was just such a drastic change between molts I was unsure if it was normal.


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## Rick (Apr 17, 2009)

fatal_mantis said:


> I take him out so I can clean the cage. I let him sit on my plants at the window while I clean the silk plants and replace the substrate and such. But if you think he's fine then thats good. It was just such a drastic change between molts I was unsure if it was normal.


Ok. I figured you were doing a lot of handling which in my opinion is not good. I see these as kinda look dont touch type of "pets".

Nymph males tend to eat like everyone else but once they become adults it really slows down. He has one purpose in life now and that is all he is really concerned with.


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## Katnapper (Apr 17, 2009)

Rick said:


> Nymph males tend to eat like everyone else but once they become adults it really slows down. He has one purpose in life now and that is all he is really concerned with.


+1

Yes, I wouldn't worry.... you know how males are!  You could try getting him addicted to watching football or baseball with you on T.V. And then he might munch a little more during the games... but not likely. For mantids, the males have a one track mind even more fixated than humans.  

Edit: PS... That is an M. paykulli, not an S. parva.


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## Kaddock (Apr 18, 2009)

Rick said:


> Ok. I figured you were doing a lot of handling which in my opinion is not good. I see these as kinda look dont touch type of "pets". Nymph males tend to eat like everyone else but once they become adults it really slows down. He has one purpose in life now and that is all he is really concerned with.


Why is that Rick? At least one of my mantids seems to actually "enjoy" being handled, and won't get off. Is handling them dangerous to their health? You don't interact with yours? Just curious.

:huh:


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## superfreak (Apr 21, 2009)

hmm, yeah i like to take mine out and let them roam around on my desk and curtains. One of my big females likes to sit on my phasmid hatching tank and watch all the nymphs inside, occasionally snapping at the glass


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## PhilinYuma (Apr 21, 2009)

Rick said:


> Ok. I figured you were doing a lot of handling which in my opinion is not good. I see these as kinda look dont touch type of "pets". Nymph males tend to eat like everyone else but once they become adults it really slows down. He has one purpose in life now and that is all he is really concerned with.


I don't handle mine much, either, Rick, and I don't let them wander around my apartment (they might eat my dog!), but I can't imagine what actual harm handling them can do, can you?

I must have you come over some time and explain to my males what their "one purpose in life" is! Maybe then, some of them will be a little more proactive in the breeding cage!


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## Rick (Apr 21, 2009)

PhilinYuma said:


> I don't handle mine much, either, Rick, and I don't let them wander around my apartment (they might eat my dog!), but I can't imagine what actual harm handling them can do, can you?I must have you come over some time and explain to my males what their "one purpose in life" is! Maybe then, some of them will be a little more proactive in the breeding cage!


When I was a kid I used to catch a lot of mantids. I handled them all the time and eventually they got lathargic and had dark runny stools before they died. No animal outside of maybe your furry friends should be handled all the time IMO. I don't ever handle my mantids unless it is for cleaning or breeding. They are way too fragile especially the males who like to fly and usually crash about the room hurting themselves. But I don't want to get off topic.


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 22, 2009)

Rick said:


> Ok. I figured you were doing a lot of handling which in my opinion is not good. I see these as kinda look dont touch type of "pets". Nymph males tend to eat like everyone else but once they become adults it really slows down. He has one purpose in life now and that is all he is really concerned with.


Oh no, I'm not one of those people who have to touch everything. I do some handling on a rare occation; just to get give them a bit of exercice or to take some photos their growth, but most of the time I leave them alone. I don't want to stress them out too much.


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