# Angry Mantis



## Lukony (May 18, 2006)

What would everyone say are some of the top most preditorial species? I love to watch my Sphodramantis Lineola is pissy but what are some others?


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## Sheldon Johnson (May 18, 2006)

So far, the most agressive ive seen are basalis. They activly chase and hunt their prey.


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## Mike (May 18, 2006)

are they hard to find? How big do they grow?


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## Sheldon Johnson (May 18, 2006)

Theyre hard to find, They grow about 10cm in length. amazing little mantids, very active.


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## Mike (May 18, 2006)

Got any for sale sheldon? :wink:


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## Sheldon Johnson (May 18, 2006)

I wish, last time i had them, they all decided to moult during the coldest day of the year, i put 2 heatmats under each tank and it was still too cold. It was very annoying sicne up until that pointthey were doing incredibly well and i had actually taken the time to feed them at least every otehr day so they were very big and healthy.

However 1 of the males had decided to moult a week earlier when the weather was milder, he was fine and i gave him to a freind of mine since he had a female. So he now owes me an ooth


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## Jackson (May 18, 2006)

Most aggressive mantid is Chinese or European i always heard...but i think thats just aggressive to humans  

The best feeding mantis i had was Grandis from Sheldon (indirectly). Those guys ate everytime without fail!


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## bruty2fruity (May 19, 2006)

giant indian arent to shabby either. they have nice colours and r feisty even when small


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## Ian (May 19, 2006)

These new Sphodromantis I have (which apparently might be Rhomboderella scutata?) are vicious as anything. Any attempt to pick them up or go near them, they will rear up and go into their threat position, which I have to say is most entertaining. They will also just massacre their prey like nothing else before. Great species.


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## Sheldon Johnson (May 19, 2006)

The most ever violent specemin ive ever had was a "marbled mantis" back in my early days. As a l2 nymphs i gave it a cricket much bigger than it. It latched onto it sucessfully, but comparativly the cricket was huge so the cricket didnt notice at first and just kept running around with a hungry mantis chowing down sticking out at about an angle of about 70 degrees (looked very funny). By the end of the day most of the crickets abdomen was gone and the mantids abdomen was huge. Very entertaining, never seen anything like it since though.


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## yen_saw (May 19, 2006)

P. Agrionina (budwing) will chase after the food almost immediately after they spotted the prey. They never fail me whenever i want to amaze any kids on how a mantis could make a kill in a lightning quick move.


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## Peekaboo (May 19, 2006)

I second Yen's comment. Even as L1's my P. Agrioninas would dive bomb and tackle fruit flies. Some of them took some real head over heels tumbles.


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## danswan (Aug 2, 2006)

> Most aggressive mantid is Chinese or European i always heard...but i think thats just aggressive to humans  The best feeding mantis i had was Grandis from Sheldon (indirectly). Those guys ate everytime without fail!


Hi Jackson,

I'm with you on that. The Tenodera are vicious little buggers. Perhaps I had a bad experience, but I found their agression a bit unnerving.


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## bandedgecko (Aug 2, 2006)

can any mantis actually harm a person?


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## 13ollox (Aug 2, 2006)

nope , not seriously . the bigger species may snap at you and draw small amount of blood at the most . although ive been lucky so far and not been hit by my own mantids :lol: ... but some have tried .. im just too quick !!!

Neil


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## danswan (Aug 2, 2006)

> can any mantis actually harm a person?


Although a mantis doesn't really pose any threat to a person, they can definitely harm your eyes if you hold them too close. They are attracted to eye movement, and will reflexively strike. It's not a big deal if you wear glasses, but if you don't, be very careful.

Aside from eyes, I've let 5" tenodera chew on my fingertip - After 5 minutes, it only left a scratch, and didn't draw blood.

Truly, I believe, the greatest threats mantids present is to your bank account.


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## Ian (Aug 2, 2006)

> Truly, I believe, the greatest threats mantids present is to your bank account.


I couldn't agree more


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## wuwu (Aug 4, 2006)

> Truly, I believe, the greatest threats mantids present is to your bank account.


hahah seriously. :lol:


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## jfw60 (Aug 7, 2006)

:shock:http://www.mentalfunk.com/movies/mousevsmantis.html :shock:


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