Search results

Thank you again for your ideas and observations Looks like she only ate 3 BB flies, 1 roach leg, and 1 wax worm moth last night so not over-eating by any standards. Her abdomen is wide, looks full, but not round like some of the female mantid photos (other species.) I'll try offering her a...

Saw it just as the sun was setting here in Washington. Too many fir trees at our house so we went to a nearby church on a hill and the parking lot was full of cars/people.and cameras. Your photos are gorgeous, thank you for sharing them.

Thank you so much. I will try the "kill" idea tomorrow as she seems really put off by the roach's waving, clinging feet (kind of like I am too.) She did rip off a leg of one in tweezers (and eat it) tonight because it was hanging onto her face but then she knocked it away. Tried many more...

There is a photo of her abdomen a few topics down from this one, titled "Help what is my mated girl oozing?" It's because of the educated souls on this forum that I now know it is her anus. It seems slightly smaller now and "dryer" looking. She is able to pass frass. Not sure how fat is too...

Thomas, I commend you for all you do for your mantids and the newbies like me who need advice. The vacuum sounds like it was a sensational project. I just wanted to let you know that my grandson has a toy (Toys R Us) that is part of the Backyard Safari Outfitter ensemble (it has a bee hat, a...

Now that I've got her body parts identified correctly, and know that the greenish blob is her prolapsed anus (thanks to all of you for educating me), I'm wondering about her laying an ootheca. Do all female mantids lay an ooth, whether they have mated or not? She was mated 16 days ago, but...

I'm getting frustrated with the roach thing. I've tried long tweezers, presenting the roach head first, upside down, and side-ways---my T. sinensis just pushes it away or climbs the tweezers onto me. I've tried the cup idea---even flipped the roach upside down so its wiggly legs show---she...

B. Dubia roaches just arrived today. (It has gotten too cold at night to sit out for two hours waiting for a moth to come along!) The roaches are much bigger than I had imagined even though they are not adults. I keep looking at them and then at my female mated T. sinensis and they seem huge...

Grandsons and I just looked at all your mantids! They are so beautiful--I would suggest that your ghost mantid that is eating the blue bottle fly looks like a piece gold jewelry pretty enough to wear in the photo! Thanks for the gorgeous photos!

You are very bug smart and I really appreciate what you've told me. ( I had tried to find a diagram with some details about her body parts---guess I needed a class in entomology.) The prolapse is definitely on top. Her frass is about half the size as before. It also explains why my grandson...

Is there any hope she will lay an ootheca? Her sweet personality has changed since mating eleven days ago. Now she's grabbing, pinching, nervous and not eating as well. Today for the first time ever she showed me her threat display! She is passing frass. Maybe she is in pain?

Thank you all for your replies. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. The glob has not grown in the last couple of days anyway.

Thank you for your reply. If that is what's happened, it doesn't bode well for her laying an ooth, right? Have you heard of or seen this happen before? And where's a mantis OB-Gyn when you need one! She's still eating well but I'm wondering if this will mean an early demise for her...

Mated my first mantis, T. sinensis, a week ago and she immediately started oozing this greenish blob! And what is the whitish oval toward the bottom of the blob? I don't know if it has hardened and will prevent her from laying an ooth. I guess I could try to touch it. Anyone know what is...

Thank you for replying. I hope it's not blood. Three days ago, I actually removed the first droplet that appeared and it was sort of sticky. I was afraid that whatever it was would harden and she would be blocked. Because she has continued a slow ooze, I have left it alone but the drop has...

Thank you for the photo info. I haven't had time to follow your descriptive directions yet but it will happen. I just came in from 2 1/2 hours in the cold with my lights and sheet thing and just like the last two nights, I've only caught 7 moths. The mantids are eating them all over night. I...

My T. sinensis mated five days ago. Since then, she has oozed a few droplets of stuff that looks like very pale green, clear rubber cement. Is this spermatophore? She's had this droplet all day. It is coming from the area between the cerci, but on top the end of the abdomen. I was very only...

Thanks for the links to catching moths---now I know how to recycle my husband's golf practice net--it'll make a great stand for a sheet! You have been a great help in many areas. Thank you very much! Nancy

Thanks for such a detailed list of "how to's". This is very kind of you to take the time to help the rest of us!

Your Egyptian Pygmy mantis is cuter than cute. Sharply triangular face! Are those budwings? A neighbor boy found a mantis in his garage at their ski cabin near here (1100' elev.) It still has its budwings but it is clearly a Mantis Religiosa (European) because it has that yellow eyespot...