Adult Female P. Paradoxa Feeding Regimen?

[FeistyMcGrudle]

Hello again everyone! I am back with a question that I have been looking for some more info. Like the title says, I am curious about my two adult female ghosts and how often I should be feeding them. I have tried my best at searching this forum, and elsewhere online and I have yet to find anything pertaining specifically to feeding female adult ghosts. I am in a little bit of a pickle because I have two sub-adult males, both of which are taking a long time to molt to adults (for reference, my females molted to adult within two days of each other, over three weeks ago--all were the same age when aquired). I am curious if anyone can chime in about how often I should be feeding my girls, while slightly slowing down their metabolism, while speeding up my males.

I am currently feeding both females 2x Blue Bottles/Day. Temps are in the mid-to-upper 80's (have two Idolo nymphs in the same room, otherwise it would be a little cooler), RH is between 40-60%. I feed the males on average 1x BB/day, if that since they are both picky eaters, however, my oldest male is still known to chow down on as many as 3-4 when he is really hangry. I feed my oldest male as much as he will take and he is currently a big fat fatty, but still no molt. 

With my females, is it alright to feed one BB/day? One BB every other day? I want to mate them, so I also want to ensure my girls are comfortable and will produce good ootheca. I feel like I am in one of those 'want cake and eat it too' predicaments.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MantisGirl13]

One to two bbs a day is fine for the girls, but if you want to fatten them up, then feed them a lot at one time. There is no specific amount to feed them, I usually feed mine a lot at once and then a lot again in a few days. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[hysteresis]

I think I read ( @MantisGirl13 or @Graceface ) that males take a long time for their final molt. Typically we want to slow down males with other species. I think its a bonus that ghost males take longer. I dont know that you should be worried.

My regimes across all the species I keep has softened. I feed them until their abdomens are plump. I keep the record of every feeding still,  but really: feed them until theyre plump. When they stop accepting food, a molt is coming. Molt records should correlate strongly to our observations.

Im still young in this hobby so others can support or correct what ive put forward.

 

[MantisGirl13]

That would be @Graceface I think, @hysteresis.

+1 to everything you said! (sry, out of likes for the day)

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

i feed mine till they are full and when they gets thinner and I think there need food in there, I give again.

My female ghost grabbed a grasshopper yesterday so she can a few days without food. (she ate almost the whole grasshopper)

 

[FeistyMcGrudle]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I just noticed my males wing buds getting really swollen last night, so hopefully he's gonna be molting soon! 

 

[Graceface]

I feed my female adult ghosts every other day, about 4-5 BBF. If I offered daily feedings, they would take them, I bet

Sub males get 2 BBF. When I've offered more at a feeding they do not eat more so I feel 2 is the magic number for male subs. 

I haven't tried daily feedings of male Ghosts, as I've found if you offer larger meals at a 2-3 day interval they aren't hungry between meals and won't eat if fed. I also haven't tried speeding them up and slowing down my Ghost females, either (orchids, yes. Ghosts, no) so I have little personal experience to speak from. I would try feeding more at a time to your males, as I think having a more full abdomen would encourage the mantis to molt, similar to how a large meal makes us pop the button of our pants to make room for the food. Plus, more food in the mantis equals more energy to molt

It seems you are keeping them quite a bit warmer than I would recommend. Can your females be kept in the lower 70s? That would help the slowing of their metabolism 

I feel your predicament as I have some males currently that have been subs for 3 MONTHS and still haven't molted. One finally molted this morning, thankfully. Now if Jeff would just follow suit! 

 

[hysteresis]

@Graceface im learning so much from you. ❤

 

[FeistyMcGrudle]

Thank you all so much for the input. It looks like I'm going to be switching some things up. @Graceface I should be able to move my females to a different room until I can re-configure my setup for my idolos, but as it is, I'm basically creating an entire room that is climate controlled instead of just the enclosures (until me and the wife decide to try raising humans, anyway). 

Again, thank you all for the info. My mantises thank you.

 

[hysteresis]

until me and the wife decide to try raising humans, anyway

Dude, bugs are easier.  Just sayin' 

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Male ghosts only live about 6 to 8 weeks once they become adults but females can live as long as 6 months after becoming adults so I wouldn't worry about speeding the males up or slowing the females down. They'll catch up to each other soon enough.

Male subadult ghosts typically eat less than subadult females (they aren't picky, that's just how male ghosts are) but once they are adults males barely eat at all, maybe one BB twice a week, if that. Adult females eat a lot on the other hand, feeding them 2 or 3 BB each day is ok or you can give 5 or 6 every other day if they take them. Ghosts are prolific ooth layers so they need the extra energy to constantly produce all those eggs, they'll lay an ooth every 2 to 3 weeks for the rest of their lives. 

 

[Graceface]

Ghosts are prolific ooth layers so they need the extra energy to constantly produce all those eggs, they'll lay an ooth every 2 to 3 weeks for the rest of their lives. 

Second that My Bellatrix laid 7 oothecca before she died, and was a voracious eater. 

 

[FeistyMcGrudle]

So my male molted to adult the other night! I posted a timelapse of it in the Mantid Photos section.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Congrats on the molt!

- MantisGirl13