# How to provoke a threat pose?



## -MK- (Nov 16, 2009)

I know this is kind of a stupid question, but how do most of the people here get their threat pose photos? Are they just in the right place at the right time, or is there a gentle but effective technique? I have a large female Chinese who is very laid back and friendly, and also getting up there age-wise. I don't want to stress her out, but I bet she would look absolutely ferocious if she were to do the pose when I had a camera set up. I don't have another mantis or any other pets to use as instigators. Any advice?


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## ZoeRipper (Nov 16, 2009)

This isn't a very helpful post, I know, sorry, but if/when you get this to happen, post pics?


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## -MK- (Nov 16, 2009)

ZoeRipper said:


> This isn't a very helpful post, I know, sorry, but if/when you get this to happen, post pics?


Haha - yeah, of course - if they're any good!


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## ZoeRipper (Nov 16, 2009)

Huh, I've done my best to try and find out how to do it.

Maybe get like tweezers or something longer and come towards her without touching her?

I don't know, I'm just a noob!

Lol, say something about her weight.

That'd get ME riled.


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## Matticus (Nov 16, 2009)

If I really want a threat pose, I usually poke a finger towards the face, and if that's not enough, I poke at the forearms a bit. In my experience males go into threat pose much more easily than females, although I've had 4 females and 2 males, so that's a low sample size.


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## Rick (Nov 16, 2009)

The finger in the face often will do it. Some mantids won't do it at all and some will easily. Sometimes you really gotta annoy them.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2009)

I know if i put a male in with my very fat ready to lay females that occasionally provokes her.


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## ismart (Nov 16, 2009)

Tell her she's fat! :lol: That should really piss her off! :lol:Or you could flapp your arms in the air and pretend your a bird or bat. Make a lot of bird/bat noises. The higher pitch the better! :lol: Don't forget to get this all on video!  But in all seriousness, grab her abdomin gently, and keep doing it. This should get her to attack you!


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## bassist (Nov 16, 2009)

ismart said:


> But in all seriousness, grab her abdomin gently, and keep doing it. This should get her to attack you!


This.

Gently just 'hold' the abdomen with two fingers with very little pressure.


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## Katnapper (Nov 16, 2009)

Presenting her with a larger than usual food prey item (like a big roach or worm) and taunt her in the face with it is worth a try. I'd never seen my female P. chlorophaea's display any threat postures until one day I tried to hand feed a waxworm to one... and she freaked out. Poor girl was terrified of it!


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## Ntsees (Nov 16, 2009)

For me, I just put my mantid in a jar/etc. and show them to my birds (or you can show them to wild birds). They peck the jar and the mantid automatically goes into threat posture. My mantids are a little too tame and pushing my finger into their face won't do anything. They just turn around slowly and try to escape. Even if they get annoyed too much (like me gently pinching their abdomen), they just turn around and grab my finger(s) with partial or no wings open. Because of that, I don't bother physically trying to get them to do their pose.


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## -MK- (Nov 20, 2009)

I tried poking my finger at her face and she just stared at me as if to say, "That wasn't very polite." :lol: If I poke at her front legs, she just tries to climb onto my hand. Like I said, I don't have any other critters to provoke her, so I guess the only thing left to try is to "goose" her? The ideas about making jokes about her weight cracked me up because she is quite plump. Trouble is, she doesn't understand English - only Chinese.


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## ZoeRipper (Nov 20, 2009)

Tell her that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend.

If that doesn't work, then tell her that they're getting married.

Tell her that her best friend is already pregnant.

OHSNAP.


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## -MK- (Nov 20, 2009)

ZoeRipper said:


> Tell her that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend.If that doesn't work, then tell her that they're getting married.
> 
> Tell her that her best friend is already pregnant.
> 
> OHSNAP.


Haha - all good ideas, Zoe, but I don't speak Chinese.


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## ZoeRipper (Nov 20, 2009)

I took Chinese back in high school.

I don't remember much, but I could probably count to ten rather angrily at her.

Yi er san si wu liu qi ba jiu shi!

Pronounced ee are sahn soo whoa lyoh chee bah jyoh shee.

also the number song..

I don't remember the actual words but it sounded like

"Ee are san su woh lyo chee! Woh de pong yo dai na-a lee! Sai jen ya, sai hai jow! wo de pung yo jai na-a lee!"

Which means something along the lines of

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8!

All my friends can find me

All my friends, friends find me

All my friends at promontory.

Actually here's the link to the vid:

http://v.ku6.com/show/VPQk6PWUto7B89KA.html


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## Rick (Nov 20, 2009)




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## bassist (Nov 20, 2009)

Rick said:


>


That's something you don't see often from _Hymenopus_.


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## Rick (Nov 20, 2009)

bassist said:


> That's something you don't see often from _Hymenopus_.


Doesn't take much with this one.


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## d17oug18 (Nov 20, 2009)

lol, ive gotten a partial threat pose with a unicorn female, and when i tryed to do it to my male S limbata he just flew away lol.


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## massaman (Nov 22, 2009)

dont think sub adults would be affected this way but anyone ever have a sub adult do a threat post ?

Have had nymphs throw down some displays when another nymph got too close and some swat at others as they show their displays!


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## beckyl92 (Nov 22, 2009)

i poke the side of its abdomen/wings until it looks behind itself. then i'll poke the other side and repeat


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## Ntsees (Nov 22, 2009)

massaman said:


> dont think sub adults would be affected this way but anyone ever have a sub adult do a threat post ?Have had nymphs throw down some displays when another nymph got too close and some swat at others as they show their displays!


I have. It just looks like the other younger instars.


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## Opivy (Nov 22, 2009)

I really think i'm doing something wrong =0


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## bassist (Nov 22, 2009)

massaman said:


> dont think sub adults would be affected this way but anyone ever have a sub adult do a threat post ?Have had nymphs throw down some displays when another nymph got too close and some swat at others as they show their displays!


Most mantids will throw a threat pose regardless of instar.


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## -MK- (Nov 22, 2009)

One of my gf's sub-adults stayed in a threat pose for pretty much an entire day. Unfortunately, he died the next day.

This video is one of the best displays I've seen. Too bad the camera work is so lousy.


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## agent A (Nov 22, 2009)

I find flicking at them and shaking them a little startles them. I also find that younger females are more likely to threat pose.


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## batsofchaos (Dec 2, 2009)

I have a ceiling fan/light fixture that my Ghosts always attack when I bring them close. I think the fan speed chopping up the light makes them think it's a bird, or a moth, or something. Whenever they see it they practically scream "I KEEL YOU!"


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## Ntsees (Dec 2, 2009)

batsofchaos said:


> I have a ceiling fan/light fixture that my Ghosts always attack when I bring them close. I think the fan speed chopping up the light makes them think it's a bird, or a moth, or something. Whenever they see it they practically scream "I KEEL YOU!"


Yeah, I think that works too. I think it's the fast movements that startles them. I've never tried putting them near a speeding fan because of the risk of them jumping/flying towards it.


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## batsofchaos (Dec 2, 2009)

My ceiling fan doesn't go fast enough to cause harm; I think the little buggers could land on one of the blades and use it as a merry-go-round if they wanted. If it was turned up I'd be concerned about them flying at it, but it never is (and it's stuck at that speed permanently).


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