Memorable Feeder Insects/Feeding Experience Survey

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aychen222

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The weather is getting warm, the grass gets greener every day, and the trees are starting to show leaves. In the spirit of spring, I started to think of all the different insects I could finally feed my mantids. And I was just wondering, after watching my creos double claw and sometimes catch bb flies with just their mouths, what are some memorable feeding experiences that you have had? More than that, what is the most interesting feeder insect/animal that your mantids have experienced?

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I am hoping this will be a very picture filled topic with great suggestions on all different sorts of insects to treat my mantids to.

 
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Hmm...the most memorable for me is when I tried feeding a potato bug to my late Multispina...didn't get any pictures though but it was funny...she couldn't eat through the shell and it was rolled up like an armadillo, so the bug lived! I do have a picture of my late Chinese eating a moth though...



 
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Ha I just realized how small these pictures are. I changed the size of mine by inserting an image using the URL instead of doing it from "my media."

 
Today I was lucky enough to find a spined assassin bug for my creos. I know they are dangerous but I figured that the adult creos could take it. Anyway, here are some pictures. It was pretty interesting to watch because the creo naturally kept the "beak" of the assassin bug held down and left that portion uneaten.

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While she was chewing, I noticed a distinct apple smell in the room. The only source could only have been from the assassin bug. It was actually a pretty pleasant smell, and reminded me of a sour apple candle I once had.

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Nice! My Creo nymph is ignoring food right now, I hope Hydei flies aren't too big for it. Where in the world do you find assassin bugs?

 
This one was in my house! But in South Carolina they are all over the bushes in the spring and summer.

 
Aychen: I've noticed that smell too, back when I was having to make an insect collection for class. I've noticed it with some other "shield" bugs as well... Great first photo, by the way... wish I could make mine that clear!

 
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Well, I was going to post a thread called "Open Season" because today is the first time I've noticed bugs, but you beat me to it! Looks like you've had better weather in NJ than we've had here in Washington... :D

So, this is the first warm period of weather we've had in a bit... My roommate actually opened the sliding glass door today! Siri molted to L6 yesterday, and although I have some mealworms, I'm waiting for my blue bottles to hatch and he's apparently tired of the worms. I live in apartment complex, on the third floor, so I went out onto my deck with my coffee to take a break from writing a paper and it was like a buffet out there! A bunch of fat flies, sunning themselves on my deck! I promptly got my butterfly net from my room (comes in real handy) and went back out to catch breakfast for Siri. Because of the apartment complex layout, there's decks beside and below mine, and someone's dad was sitting on the deck to the right one floor down. He's reading and ignoring me, at first, as I prance around in my pajamas with a butterfly net. I catch a few flies, mostly by slamming the net down onto the deck floor, which makes a modest "bang" each time. After one of these hunting sessions, I stand up going "hah"! with a fly between my fingers and I look over and the guy has put down his newspaper and is watching me... Luckily by that time I'd gotten five big flies so I called it a day and retreated to my room... :whistling:

That was my funniest experience in terms of feeding... Siri loved the flies, he's munching happily away right now. I don't have any pics but I'm attaching a picture of lil' Siri eating a mealworm... I guess the only other thing he does that's funny is sometimes, when I drop a mealworm in front of him on my hand, he'll watch it until it gets too close and touches one of his feet! Then he pulls it away and shakes it and gives the worm a look like, "Eeww... A bug!" :blink: (I haven't had the heart to tell him that he's an insect too!)

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Ignore the "crumbs" on my hand... it's from the mealworm container. (Those things can be tough to scoop out sometimes!) I love the way he holds these things... reminds me of a hot dog or ice cream cone!

Oh yeah... and once I saw Siri in the process of trying to eat THREE flies! One in each claw, and he had another abdomen in his mouth. :rolleyes: Greedy little bugger!

 
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a little off topic, but this morning there were LOADS of ladybugs funneling out of these plants in my front yard. Too bad i don't have any mantids to feed them to :lol:

 

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