# Does the female ALWAYS bite off the males head?



## Shreddedbaggy (Aug 30, 2008)

Because i don't want that to happen. help me? because I've asked people and they say she always does, and some say she doesn't always. I'm confuzed!! :blink:


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## The_Asa (Aug 30, 2008)

Check out the Introductions forum  

This is one of the popular myths of the mantis world. The female does not always eat the male. The trick to mating them is to wait until the female and male are a few weeks old, and making sure the female is very well fed prior to mating. Some species of mantids are more likely to exhibit this behavior, but no species eats the male every single time they mate. About everything you read on this forum is likely to be correct.  

Read Rick's thread on how to mate mantids properly. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7112


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## Rick (Aug 31, 2008)

No, no, and no. &lt;_&lt;


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## idolomantis (Aug 31, 2008)

50% chance.


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## The_Asa (Aug 31, 2008)

idolomantis said:


> 50% chance.


That's a little high.


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## idolomantis (Aug 31, 2008)

The_Asa said:


> That's a little high.


depends on the sp tho.


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## mrblue (Aug 31, 2008)

Rick said:


> No, no, and no. &lt;_&lt;


^ this.

/thread


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## Rick (Aug 31, 2008)

idolomantis said:


> 50% chance.


Based on what? Is that scientific fact or just some number you threw out?


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## idolomantis (Aug 31, 2008)

Rick said:


> Based on what? Is that scientific fact or just some number you threw out?


experience from th zoo.

and its based on hierodula and that kind of sp.

phyllocrania, gongy, etc is a much lower chance.


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## Rick (Sep 1, 2008)

idolomantis said:


> experience from th zoo.and its based on hierodula and that kind of sp.
> 
> phyllocrania, gongy, etc is a much lower chance.


Not the case in my experience. I have only had it happen a few times out of hundreds of matings.


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## collinchang635 (Sep 1, 2008)

Rick said:


> Not the case in my experience. I have only had it happen a few times out of hundreds of matings.


So its more or less pretty rare that the female eats the male?


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## mrblue (Sep 1, 2008)

I Like Mantis said:


> So its more or less pretty rare that the female eats the male?


exactly (if you feed them both enough and wait until theyre both old enough).


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## Orin (Sep 1, 2008)

No matter what care is taken it happens now and then but it should be rare. Some species are more prone than others.


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## collinchang635 (Sep 1, 2008)

mrblue said:


> exactly (if you feed them both enough and wait until theyre both old enough).


So what happens when the male is not old enough?


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## The_Asa (Sep 1, 2008)

He probably just won't mount the female.


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## mrblue (Sep 1, 2008)

he wont be interested in mating so will basically be just another prey item wandering about the container, getting himself into trouble.


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## Rick (Sep 1, 2008)

I like to leave the mating pair loose in a room. That way the male has plenty of room to get away. If in an enclosed space the chances are greater he will become food.


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## jason_mazzy (Sep 2, 2008)

I fed my big chinese alot for a couple days. found a male and was still worried. she eyeballed the male then after awhile ate a moth. then 10 minutes later they mated. next morning I released the male. wish I could find him so I could try a second mating! lol!!!


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