Breath of fresh air

I find it amazing how a mantis that you might have raised from nymph can go back to instinct in the matter of a night. Since the chinese mantis is native to where I'm at, I bring my female to our rose bush at dusk so she can call in males and just enjoy being outside for the night. I've raised her since nymph and I find it so impressive that the next morning when I go to reach for her, she pulls out all the stops of defense to protect herself as if she had no idea that I've been taking care of her for a while. They really are built for survival! Also, since things start to warm up at about 7:30am I put her in a sun spot this morning and a huge fly happened to land right near her to warm itself and to see her hunt with her natural insticts was just amazing (she took the fly down btw) lol! Some of the moves she pulled out today I haven't seen inside so I know she can survive where ever she is.

I don't thinks such behaviors go away, I think that the conditions are just different. Indoors in a cage is much different than being outside say on a plant or something.

Rick said:

I don't thinks such behaviors go away, I think that the conditions are just different. Indoors in a cage is much different than being outside say on a plant or something.

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I agree, It's just interesting to notice which trais show in different environments.

You leave her outside overnight yet can still find her the next morning?! Thats impressive, I'd be scared of losing mine, especially since they can fly.

That's really wild. I would be afraid to leave her out overnight.

Female mantids are not always wanderers. I do this with my chinese female and her mate. this way it gives him a chance to get away, although she almost always get him

I wonder if it would work to leave their cage outside with the female inside, no way to get out. She'd release her pheromones and attract some mates who would swarm her cage but not get inside. Then you can capture them and breed in captivity. Would that work?

I have two sub adult chinese females outside that stay on the plants on my deck so far havent wandered away

Saebjorn9 said:

You leave her outside overnight yet can still find her the next morning?! Thats impressive, I'd be scared of losing mine, especially since they can fly.

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Yup, I usually feed her a lot during the day though! So her abdomen is quite large making her too heavy to fly! lol. But I think she a appreciates it!

Saebjorn9 said:

I wonder if it would work to leave their cage outside with the female inside, no way to get out. She'd release her pheromones and attract some mates who would swarm her cage but not get inside. Then you can capture them and breed in captivity. Would that work?

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That sounds like a pretty cool plan! I would only put it out at dusk and not for the whole day because you don't want to roast her in the sun. lol. Also, I would make sure the cage is ventilated so the pheromones can pass, but it seems like a plan worth trying.

minomantis said:

That sounds like a pretty cool plan! I would only put it out at dusk and not for the whole day because you don't want to roast her in the sun. lol. Also, I would make sure the cage is ventilated so the pheromones can pass, but it seems like a plan worth trying.

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definitely, I just use those basic critter carrier plastic ventilated cages. Does most mantis mating occur at night or dusk or can it happen anytime?

Saebjorn9 said:

definitely, I just use those basic critter carrier plastic ventilated cages. Does most mantis mating occur at night or dusk or can it happen anytime?

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I read that the females will call at dusk and very early in the morning and the males will do their traveling at night and I'm sure mating will happen shortly after. Honestly if your female is full of eggs, you don't have to worry about her traveling during the night. I can almost guarantee you that she won't depart from you. When I saw my first mantis way back in the day when I didn't know anything about them, I guess she had been calling because the next morning, there were three males all around her waiting to jump on her back and they all waited for their turn. (she knew how to work the men) lol.