# Has anyone tried selective breeding with mantids?



## Xenomantis (Sep 6, 2007)

Have you ever focused on breeding only the largest mantids or for a specific color? Or maybe even just breeding the individuals with the calmest personalities? I was just wondering if anyone had tried a long-term selective breeding program.


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## Sparky (Sep 6, 2007)

Hey you know what? I haven't thought if this before but it sounds like a great idea!


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## Xenomantis (Sep 6, 2007)

> Hey you know what? I haven't thought if this before but it sounds like a great idea!


If they can do it with feeder insects (fruit flies and wingless house flies), then I bet that it would be interesting to see the types of mantids produced from such experiments.


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## Andrew (Sep 6, 2007)

Sure, it would be interesting.

But its a heck of a lot easier said than done.


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## Xenomantis (Sep 6, 2007)

> Sure, it would be interesting.But its a heck of a lot easier said than done.


Yeah, it probably is...  

I'm still willing to try, though.


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## Andrew (Sep 6, 2007)

It'll take many years and a whole lot of specimens before you achieve any results.

But don't let me discourage you.


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## asdsdf (Sep 6, 2007)

Yes, but you may see results in one generation. That nymph that is like that might die, so it really depends. It takes while to see that all of them are like that though. Fruit flies bred quickly, so several generations and faster results. Mantids, it seems, need like a year.


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## Xenomantis (Sep 6, 2007)

> It'll take many years and a whole lot of specimens before you achieve any results.But don't let me discourage you.





> Yes, but you may see results in one generation. That nymph that is like that might die, so it really depends. It takes while to see that all of them are like that though. Fruit flies bred quickly, so several generations and faster results. Mantids, it seems, need like a year.


In order to make discoveries, there must be an effort to do so. I'm sure that applies to discovering new aspects of mantids as well.

Even if it means years of work, setbacks, expenses, and time-consuming planning I'm still willing to try. :wink:


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## asdsdf (Sep 6, 2007)

Well, good luck to you!


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## Asa (Sep 6, 2007)

I tried, but got no results for a long long time.


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 6, 2007)

I'm trying that will my Chinese. The female has a beautiful colour, as does the male, I'm really hoping that they pass that on.

Also I've seen if you take you matids out daily and let them wonder a bit they seem to become a lot calmer. But if you stop doing it for a bit they become very jumpy. Mabye if you do that you can trian the mantids to get used to you. I don't know it probably won't work.

I don't know if anyone has seen that. I usually take my adults out and let them wander, they seem to like it.


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## Asa (Sep 7, 2007)

> I'm trying that will my Chinese. The female has a beautiful colour, as does the male, I'm really hoping that they pass that on.Also I've seen if you take you matids out daily and let them wonder a bit they seem to become a lot calmer. But if you stop doing it for a bit they become very jumpy. Mabye if you do that you can trian the mantids to get used to you. I don't know it probably won't work.
> 
> I don't know if anyone has seen that. I usually take my adults out and let them wander, they seem to like it.


They'll fly away...


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 7, 2007)

Mine don't fly away for some odd reason. They're all wild caught too. They just hang out on my laptop most of the time.


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## Asa (Sep 7, 2007)

> Mine don't fly away for some odd reason. They're all wild caught too. They just hang out on my laptop most of the time.


So you don't really have cages for them?


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 7, 2007)

:lol: 

I do, but I take them out often.

The Chinese ones live in a fabric mesh cage and I had to make makeshift doors for them, they sometimes come undone but the mantids stay in the cages. It's a tad bit weird but at least I don't have to worry about them getting loose.

(I woke up one day and the door was undone and I fell asleep again and woke up two hours later and the mantid hadn't even left the cage. :shock: )


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## Sparky (Sep 7, 2007)

maybe someone can create a wingless mantid! Just keep mating the mantids with the smallest wings until the wings are so small they are practically invisible.

This is probably impossible but it sounds cool.


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 7, 2007)

I don't think it's possible but it sounds cool.

Even though I do tend to like the wings on mantises.


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## Sparky (Sep 7, 2007)

yeah me too, but it would be really cool to have a species that has no wings even when it reaches adulthood.


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 7, 2007)

Yeah, there's a couple of mantises that would look good without wings.


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## Asa (Sep 7, 2007)

ya, but then they wouldn't be mantids :wink:


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## Sparky (Sep 8, 2007)

well there are fruitflies without wings. They're still called fruitflies.


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## Asa (Sep 8, 2007)

> well there are fruitflies without wings. They're still called fruitflies.


But they really aren't.


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## Sparky (Sep 8, 2007)

ok, we'll just call them flightless mantids then.


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## skinzfan72 (Sep 8, 2007)

> Mine don't fly away for some odd reason. They're all wild caught too. They just hang out on my laptop most of the time.


I noticed with my Europeans that they get skittish and fly off when you stare down with them. I'll have them on my hand and they will be looking around but when they realize some big monster is holding them and they stare you down to see if you are a threat if you stare into thier eyes just to check them out whoosh there they go into the wall or my face. Now when they do that I just turn my hand around and get them looking at something else and haven't had any problems since. Except for the male but I think he was either horny or scared because he was only in his new home for like a day. Like the doc says it could just all be in my head:lol: but it seems to work for me.


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## Mantis_Whisper (Sep 9, 2007)

> > Mine don't fly away for some odd reason. They're all wild caught too. They just hang out on my laptop most of the time.
> 
> 
> I noticed with my Europeans that they get skittish and fly off when you stare down with them. I'll have them on my hand and they will be looking around but when they realize some big monster is holding them and they stare you down to see if you are a threat if you stare into thier eyes just to check them out whoosh there they go into the wall or my face. Now when they do that I just turn my hand around and get them looking at something else and haven't had any problems since. Except for the male but I think he was either horny or scared because he was only in his new home for like a day. Like the doc says it could just all be in my head:lol: but it seems to work for me.


 :lol: I've never store down my mantids before. I just let them do waht they want. I spoil my mantids. Mabye that's why they like me so much.

He was probably scared, but who knows. :lol:


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## Ben.M (Sep 9, 2007)

> ya, but then they wouldn't be mantids :wink:


There is at least 1 sp. that dont hav wings  ,

http://ttwebbase.dyndns.org/mantid/view/214.html


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## Red (Sep 10, 2007)

Geomantis larvoides. its a communal specie in spain

^^

i think than YES, always i try to do pairs from the stronger female and male of my diferent species, So, in many generatings, maybe the nynphs will be biger and stronger.

it have done with for example snakes.... the diferent colors and patrons in some species are because the selective reproduction.

Regards


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## Xenomantis (Sep 12, 2007)

Wow! Thanks for all the input! This will definately help me with my own attempts at mantid-selective-breeding!


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