# Food options list



## hobbzz (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi everyone, new member here. Does anyone have a good website for referencing different types of food options for different species (kind of like the caresheets here)? For instance right now I've got carolinas, ghost and spiny flower. Wondering if dubia roaches would be a good choice for any of these species? I know they're healthy, but I've found one retailer saying that ghost and spiny's would not be likely to go after crawling insects like roaches, as well as the care sheets here, but the flightless fruit flies mentioned usually only crawl soooo...seems contradictory. In the future though, I will be trying different species, so I'm looking for a good site for info like this that I can reference in the future. Thanks for any help!


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 20, 2020)

I have different feeders on my site, no roaches though. Gave them up years ago, to easy to get mites and I liked to feed them

wet items which was the culp[rit, so I gave them up. I have mealworms and all types of flies.


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## Introvertebrate (Jul 22, 2020)

That “flying feeder” description is misleading because they’re rarely snagged in flight.  It just so happens that flies tend to be the most active feeders, even when they’re crawling.  That’s what triggers the feeding response.  They also have a tendency to crawl upwards where the mantis is hanging out (literally).

Poorly reared crickets, and even some roaches on rare occasions can give mantids a fatal disease.

There’s also a matter of size.  An adult Dubia could be a handful for a mantis.  Fruit flies on the other hand are really only suitable for juveniles.


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