# Giant Eyed Mantis



## enlightenment (Nov 28, 2006)

Hi,

I bought this giant eyed Mantis, it is a nymph. Don't know what the fancy name for it is, but it has shed once, and shed v well.

Anyway, I tried it on crickets, and it showed no interest.

Thought it might be intimidated by the food, so I tried it on smaller cricks, same result.

However....

Today, I caught a housefly, larger than any of the cricks, and whoosh, it eats it.

Why?

And in Scotland, there are not many flying things at this time of year!


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## Rick (Nov 28, 2006)

Flying insects tend to grab their attention. Though I don't have any issues feeding crickets. Can you post a pic of your mantis? No such thing as a giant eyed mantis.


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## enlightenment (Nov 28, 2006)

(Pseudempusa pinnapavonis)

http://www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk/

bought from here mate


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## yen_saw (Nov 29, 2006)

This species is also call Thailand budwing mantis, easily an inch longer than the african budwing mantis (Parasphendale sp). They can be found in the jungle of South East Asia especially in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, etc. They prefer flying insects, and do not feed very often. They will occasionally take crickets when they are hand fed and hungry. Keep them humid to avoid mismolting.


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## Sheldon Johnson (Nov 29, 2006)

> Flying insects tend to grab their attention. Though I don't have any issues feeding crickets. Can you post a pic of your mantis? No such thing as a giant eyed mantis.


I dont think that you should be jumping to conclusions that a common name doesnt exist. Certain people have different names for mantis and through use of it, it becomes a common name. If we dismissed common names that we hadnt heard of before, or didnt make much sense when naming a species, then we would have about 1/2 the common names we have now.


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## Rick (Nov 29, 2006)

> > Flying insects tend to grab their attention. Though I don't have any issues feeding crickets. Can you post a pic of your mantis? No such thing as a giant eyed mantis.
> 
> 
> I dont think that you should be jumping to conclusions that a common name doesnt exist. Certain people have different names for mantis and through use of it, it becomes a common name. If we dismissed common names that we hadnt heard of before, or didnt make much sense when naming a species, then we would have about 1/2 the common names we have now.


Have you heard of the giant eyed mantis before? So you're saying that if I call a mantis one thing and you call it something else and we both made these names up that they should be recognized as common names for that species? I don't think so.


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## Sheldon Johnson (Nov 29, 2006)

no, im saying if people start using these names, then it will become a new common name and you shouldnt be so dismissive as this is how most common names begin.

When you look at the number of common names which dont even make sense but are still used, you start ot realise that there have already been many allowences made and there is no reason to start getting pedantic now.


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## Rick (Nov 29, 2006)

> no, im saying if people start using these names, then it will become a new common name and you shouldnt be so dismissive as this is how most common names begin.When you look at the number of common names which dont even make sense but are still used, you start ot realise that there have already been many allowences made and there is no reason to start getting pedantic now.


I see your point but we shouldn't adopt a common name simply because somebody comes up with a new one. Most if not all mantids have a common name already so why not leave it at that? If everybody and their brother has a common name then you invite even more confusion into an already potentially confusing situation.


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## Sheldon Johnson (Nov 29, 2006)

Do you not already think it is in some respects? I understand where you are coming from, but 10 years ago gongy wern't called violin it was originally "ball lobbed mantis" and if people had shot down the name violin back then, it wouldnt have developed (and for the best IMO as its easier to say!)

I do get what you're saying, but i think we should encourage the assignment of common names if it makes it easier for newbies to identify a species, anyway im going to leave this little debate alone for now as im probably going to start up a big thread like this in a few months time for various reasons (ill explain in the future).


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## enlightenment (Nov 29, 2006)

:shock: Wish I hadn't started this thread now! Anyway, any suggestions as to how I can feed it more flying things, when it is cold here right now, and v little around? I have some waxworm grub things, that eventually I think will turn into moths, but that might take ages. What about maggots?


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## enlightenment (Nov 29, 2006)

> This species is also call Thailand budwing mantis, easily an inch longer than the african budwing mantis (Parasphendale sp). They can be found in the jungle of South East Asia especially in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, etc. They prefer flying insects, and do not feed very often. They will occasionally take crickets when they are hand fed and hungry. Keep them humid to avoid mismolting.


Can anyone confirm that this_ is _what my Giant Eyed Mantis is then?

I have a bud wing mantis, and it looks* much *more substantial in size and chunkyness than the Giant Eyed Mantis (albeit, neither have reached adulthood yet)


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## Rick (Nov 29, 2006)

> :shock: Wish I hadn't started this thread now! Anyway, any suggestions as to how I can feed it more flying things, when it is cold here right now, and v little around? I have some waxworm grub things, that eventually I think will turn into moths, but that might take ages. What about maggots?


I personally order houseflies as maggots. You take some out and in a few days you get flies. They are perfect size for small to medium mantids. You can keep the maggots in the fridge until ready for use.


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## yen_saw (Nov 29, 2006)

> Can anyone confirm that this is what my Giant Eyed Mantis is then? I have a bud wing mantis, and it looks much more substantial in size and chunkyness than the Giant Eyed Mantis (albeit, neither have reached adulthood yet)


If your "Giant eyed mantis" looks like the one in http://www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk/ it is Pseudoempusa Pinnapavonis. Or it should look like this as nymph






















This species of mantis is *longer* than the african budwing mantis (Parasphendale sp) but not as bulky as the female african budwing mantis (which is shorter compared to Thai budwing) as adult.



> but i think we should encourage the assignment of common names if it makes it easier for newbies to identify a species


"Giant eyes mantis" is really not a good common name for identifying a species. The only way to correctly identifying a species is through the scientific name.


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## enlightenment (Nov 29, 2006)

Great pics mate, that* is *the one.

Brillant.

Looks precisely like that, it has shed once, and is maybe about the size of the one you show here.

Tonight it ate a small spider! Hurrah!


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## Rob Byatt (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi,

okay, _P. pinnapavonis _has no issues at all with taking crawling prey. They are usually eager feeders. They will do fine on maggots, which, in time, will turn to flies !

As for the common name problem - as soon as I read 'Giant eyed mantis' I knew they were from Virginia; then I read that you got them from there  

She has put that name on them, that is how I know. The thing is, I was the person that made this species available in the UK earlier this year, the stock you have are ones that I bred :wink: It was only known by it's scientific name then.

I personally don't like any of the names currently being used for it; the scientific origin of the name needs to be investigated to arrive at an accurate common name.

Just my viewpoint :wink:

Rob


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## enlightenment (Nov 30, 2006)

> Hi,okay, _P. pinnapavonis _has no issues at all with taking crawling prey. They are usually eager feeders. They will do fine on maggots, which, in time, will turn to flies !
> 
> As for the common name problem - as soon as I read 'Giant eyed mantis' I knew they were from Virginia; then I read that you got them from there
> 
> ...


What are the best methods to get maggots to turn into flies mate?

Do you sell Mantids or other bugs, too?


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## Rick (Nov 30, 2006)

Just take out how many you want from the fridge and put them in a container. Housefly maggots will turn into flies in a week or less depending on temperature.


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## enlightenment (Nov 30, 2006)

thanks

:wink:


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