# Odd feeding habit



## Synapze (May 28, 2018)

Observation:

My African Lined Mantis (S. lineola) L2 has strange eating behaviors that I've never encountered before. A knowledgeable YouTube breeder/dealer says that a few flies should always be in the enclosure for L2s, so I leave 2 or 3 fruitflies in at all times. Strange thing is, the mantis quickly pursues and kills all the feeders, then returns to a previous kill and consumes it heartily. I've seen other mantids slowly move closer to prey and I know his species can be aggressive as hunters, but I've never seen a mantis chase down its food only to kill or injure. I'm not worried since the mantis is eating, but curious if this was common with this species. I know a few feeder aren't a big financial loss, but it's inconvenient to remove the deceased victims.

Just curious if this was common with this species. Have a great day everyone!


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## River Dane (May 28, 2018)

Firstly, let me make sure I understand properly. The mantis hunts down all the fruit flies to injure them, the returns to one of the fruit flies it just killed for consumption, but leaves the rest?

My first thought would be your mantis is probably full, so he’s ignoring the prey. Maybe he’s attempting to eat them, but leaves them injured because he can’t eat it. 

I , personally, would not suggest leaving so many flies in your mantis’ habitat. As long as his abdomen’s nice and plump, he doesn’t need to eat for another day or two. Maybe if you put them in once a day, it might work for more docile species. But even then, every other day would be a safer bet.

But really, feeding is about finding out what works for you and your mantis. Try feeding less and see if it stops the behavior. If not, you can try another feeder, or, if push comes to shove. Add some soil, springtails, and other decomposers to help with the cleanup.

Good luck!


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## Synapze (May 28, 2018)

Correct. For example, if I put in 3 flightless fruit flies in his enclosure, he will scurry down from the plant or small branch and begin killing. Sometimes he will kill one and begin to eat it, then drop it, scurry over kill another and then return to the first to finish. At other times, he will kill both of the other two, then return to the first and complete the first kill,then occasionally returns to one of the others and finishes consuming it as well. I've also seen him run back up his plant or branch to kill one that may have climbed up. Usually if that is the case, he tends to stay there and eat like every other mantis I've seen.

I'll reduce frequency of feeding and stop keeping feeders in all the time to see if that helps. Honestly, it can be actually be quite funny to watch something so tiny act so ferociously. 

Thanks for the advice and I will begin following it today.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 28, 2018)

That is funny! Mantids can be so weird and silly sometimes!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 29, 2018)

My mantis had 1 day, 2 flies in his fore legs and 1 in mouth. That was a funny to see.


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## Synapze (May 29, 2018)

@Little Mantis That much have been fun to watch. ?


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## MantisGirl13 (May 29, 2018)

Synapze said:


> @Little Mantis That much have been fun to watch. ?


I agree! My brother had a Chinese mantis once that had two fully grown grasshoppers in one forearm, and a cricket head in the other, and was watching and hunting another grasshopper while it was eating! My brother overfed her a lot!


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## Mantis Lady (May 29, 2018)

And she ate all 3 insects? Her abdomen would have been near exploding.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 29, 2018)

I know! She was a big eater!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 29, 2018)

I wont feed Cochise that much. Dont want her belly to explode or break her legs under the weight.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 30, 2018)

I agree. That was when I had very little mantis experience, so I had no clue how much was too much   

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (May 30, 2018)

We keep learning all the time


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## MantisGirl13 (May 31, 2018)

@Little Mantis For sure! I love learning!

- MantisGirl13


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## Predatorhousepet (May 31, 2018)

The main bad thing that happens from regular overfeeding is they go through their molts very quickly and it shortens their lifespan. If you accidentally overfeed every once in while it won't really harm them. They won't eat so much that they explode, they will stop long before that happens. However, mantises can eat a surprising amount of prey, especially adult females. When I was purposefully stuffing my orchid female full of food directly before breeding she ate a startling number of insects, it had to be upwards of 2 dozen large sized prey items in less than 12 hours. (This was a one time thing done specifically for breeding to keep her from eating the male. I didn't force feed her either, she hunted and caught everything on her own.)  

The main way to avoid over or underfeeding is by watching their abdomen. When it goes flat they need to eat. Then you feed them until their abdomen gets plump again, however many insects that takes. Depending on the size of the prey it might be one insect or it might be as many as six insects. Then you just wait until the abdomen gets flat again to feed. Very young nymphs may need to eat every day or every other day but as they get older it can stretch from every other day to every 3 days. Adult females are a little different, their abdomens don't go flat based on food so you can't depend on that to determine a feeding schedule anymore. Because they will lay ooths whether or not they are fertile and that requires a lot of energy adult females do need to eat more and more frequently than they did as subadults.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 1, 2018)

@Predatorhousepet I know that now, thanks! I figured it out when I started carefully observing my Chinese last year. My younger brother, on the other hand, doesn't listen to my opinion very much!   He doesn't keep mantids anymore.

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 1, 2018)

Cochise keeps indeed her fat abdomen, She is going to share a dubia with Bob tonight.  saw 1 has become adult. that thing is huge. Is an adult dubia able to fly?

With the nymphs I look indeed to their abdomen. Cochise I give 1x in 2-3 days depend on what how big the prey is..


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## MantisGirl13 (Jun 2, 2018)

She is one well-fed mantis! My mantids (and my dad) won't let my dubias get to adult, so I don't know if they can fly.

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Jun 6, 2018)

I have now 1 adult dubia too, a couple of days ago 1 sub adult molted to adulthood. that thing is huge. I don't know if they can fly either.

if this vids says males can glide (not really flying)

vid of dubia roach flying


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