# Howdy!



## suzy_qu3 (Jun 13, 2010)

So my son wanted the praying mantis kit for Christmas. So Santa brought it and we sent away for the ooth (Chinese, of course). This spring we had a horrifying number of little spider-looking creatures inside the butterfly-type habitat. Yikes! We let all of the go except for 3.

Well, I should have vetted the saves a little better. They were all too dumb to eat. I kept them in the little 8oz cup the ooth came in so I could monitor them better. I put fruit flies in there and they were all ignored. I tried feeding with tweezers, but 2 of them were so busy escaping, that they wouldn't take any food. One finally did eat one. The next day one died, then another the day after that. I did get the one tweezer trained and he is still with us growing well. I think what I should have done was try tweezer-feeding each one until I found three that were more willing to be handled. Anyway...

"Doofus" began on fruit flies and molted after 19 days. He then began eating five or six a day. One day he ate one fly and an aphid. That was rather hilarious - he couldn't even lift it at first. It looked like if we were to sit there trying to eat a whole watermelon. Ha! I hurt his left arm a little bit when trying to put him back in his cup. I felt awful! He could still take food from me with the right arm and slowly wrap the left around it to steady it. That was a close one!

He molted after 9 days that time. That was about 10 day ago. Now his arm is fully recovered. Yeah! He stopped eating the fruit flies and would just strike at them. So he eats and aphid everyday. He didn't want one yesterday though, I think he was still stuffed from the last meal. He took it from me then threw across the table.

Yes, I have been feeding him all this time. They were way smaller and more delicate that I had expected, and they were not feeding well at first. And my son, not having any parenting instincts or experience, wasn't able to handle it. He did feed Doofus today on his own.  

I remember seeing wild mantids in the field behind my friends house and thinking they were giants - kinda creepy, but I couldn't take my eyes away. I am very thankful for the opportunity to study this little guy more closely. What I have discovered, is that he responds to the other members of the family with very distinct attitudes. He is very quiet for me and my oldest son (his technical owner), ignores my husband, is annoyed my my three year old daughter and second son (tries to run away), watches my third son like a hawk whenever he walks through the room (weird!), etc. I also love it when his eyes change color at night!

Maybe I'll try another species next time. My husband will be so pleased...

Anyway, didn't mean to bore you all, just introducing myself.


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## davestreasurechest (Jun 13, 2010)

welcome to the forum


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## PhilinYuma (Jun 13, 2010)

Great introduction! Welcome from Yuma, AZ.


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## austin (Jun 14, 2010)

Welcome


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## Rick (Jun 14, 2010)

Welcome. Great introduction. Chinese mantids are very fragile when small and many of them die. Your last part there about how the mantis has disctinct attitudes toward different people cracked me up. I always hear about these mantids that do stuff like that but have yet to find one. :lol:


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 14, 2010)

haha, me too ! I loved your story, sat here reading it like I had nothing else to do :tt2: welcome


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## revmdn (Jun 14, 2010)

Welcome.


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## ismart (Jun 14, 2010)

Welcome to the forum!


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## Mr.Mantid (Jun 14, 2010)

Howdy!


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