# budwing bizarrity



## Kaddock (Mar 1, 2009)

my budwing is sitting a couple of inches from his prey, eyeing it intently... every so often he gets too excited and reaches for it at medium speed, one arm and then the other, then quivers a bit and sits still again (still an inch or two away, far out of his reach)  ... is he just over stimulated by the idea of eating? what do you think???


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## PhilinYuma (Mar 1, 2009)

Kaddock said:


> my budwing is sitting a couple of inches from his prey, eyeing it intently... every so often he gets too excited and reaches for it at medium speed, one arm and then the other, then quivers a bit and sits still again (still an inch or two away, far out of his reach)  ... is he just over stimulated by the idea of eating? what do you think???


Perhaps his pseudo pupils are out of alignment?


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## Kaddock (Mar 1, 2009)

LOL. Not possible but amusing all the same!


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## nasty bugger (Mar 1, 2009)

Is your budwing an adult or what instar?

Maybe a molt is soon to happen and the mantis isn't really hungry

Does your mantis have any breathing problems?

Is the prey large enough that the mantis may be worried or scared of the prey  ?

Maybe the mantis has gone vegan, no cheese please


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## Kaddock (Mar 2, 2009)

nasty bugger said:


> Is your budwing an adult or what instar?


he has molted six times i think



> Maybe a molt is soon to happen and the mantis isn't really hungry


maybe but he seems very interested and molted less than a week ago



> Does your mantis have any breathing problems?


how do i tell? gasping in the abdomen or something? :huh: 



> Is the prey large enough that the mantis may be worried or scared of the prey  ?


he's taken such prey in the past few days



> Maybe the mantis has gone vegan, no cheese please


my girlfriend finally convinced him!


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## The_Asa (Mar 3, 2009)

I've seen them do this before. They usually do actually go for it after a couple of times of "gauging" the distance...so don't know what's up with yours :huh:


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## Kaddock (Mar 4, 2009)

well.... he just molted again (twice in about a week!). and has now taken a large cricket! good boy.


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## Rick (Mar 4, 2009)

Kaddock said:


> well.... he just molted again (twice in about a week!). and has now taken a large cricket! good boy.


Twice in a week? Not calling you a liar but find that a bit hard to believe.


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## Kaddock (Mar 5, 2009)

Rick said:


> Twice in a week? Not calling you a liar but find that a bit hard to believe.


It was 8 or 9 days. Kinda crazy, I found it odd myself, could this be an indication of a bizarre problem? :huh:


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## Katnapper (Mar 6, 2009)

Kaddock said:


> It was 8 or 9 days. Kinda crazy, I found it odd myself, could this be an indication of a bizarre problem? :huh:


Do you have another Budwing you might have gotten it mixed up with? I did this once.


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## Kaddock (Mar 6, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> Do you have another Budwing you might have gotten it mixed up with? I did this once.


I just realized it's a female after thinking I had IDed it as a male a while ago! LOL. But no, she lives in a cage alone. &lt;_&lt;


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## MantidLord (Mar 7, 2009)

I don't think it's impossible. I've had mantids molt once a week for three straight instars. Though I have an individual whose been a subadult since January, and I'm feeding a warming her well. (I. oratoria).


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## Kaddock (Mar 7, 2009)

MantidLord said:


> I don't think it's impossible. I've had mantids molt once a week for three straight instars. Though I have an individual whose been a subadult since January, and I'm feeding a warming her well. (I. oratoria).


thanks for the input, thought i was going crazy from everyones responses!


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## MantidLord (Mar 7, 2009)

Kaddock said:


> thanks for the input, thought i was going crazy from everyones responses!


lol, no prob. I think you confused them when you said a week. They thought twice in exactly seven days, not a little above. My mantids started molting on the same day the next week. Which made it alot easier for me (in terms of feeding them crix).


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