Aggressive female

[Synapze]

One of my Chinese mantids has become aggressive since becoming an adult. She used to be my most calm and "friendly" mantis. She bit me a few weeks ago, but it was my fault: I put a water droplet on my hand and she drank from it and started nibbling which I thought was cute... until it suddenly became very painful and began to bleed. I can't fault her for that. But yesterday when I took her out she began stabbing me with her raptors and tried to bite again. Then she wrapped both raptors around my finger! At that point I had to carefully force her off and put her back in her enclosure. She didn't take a defensive pose at any time during the interaction.

Thoughts? Is it common for females to become agressive after reaching adulthood? Hormones? It's rather disappointing and hopefully only temporary.

Or perhaps she tasted my blood and wants more. ?

 

[danl82]

Females seem to become even more voracious and hungry as they get older. Especially adults, obviously thought your finger was a suitable snack.

 

[Synapze]

Females seem to become even more voracious and hungry as they get older. Especially adults, obviously thought your finger was a suitable snack.

Perhaps I should make sure she's well fed before handling time. ?

 

[Mantis Lady]

My female , Hunter just gave me a threat pose when I took her out her home for being out time. She never done that before as nimph.

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Perhaps I should make sure she's well fed before handling time. ?

Probably a good idea. Glad you were able to get loose without hurting her.

I got a surprise bite from an adult male Hierodula. My fault, it was his first day in my care. I tried to be nonthreatening, flattened my hand and allowed him to crawl on me but I guess he wasn't sure of my intentions so he wanted to let me know he could defend himself. He didn't show me a threat pose either. He leaned down slowly and deliberately then bit the palm of my hand between my thumb and forefinger pretty hard. It didn't quite draw blood, it mostly just surprised me but it did hurt, it is alarming how strong their mandibles are. He wouldn't let go so it took everything in me to fight the urge to shake him off and carefully pried him off my hand instead. Then he decided to take flight and went under the bed to hide. He was hanging from the bottom of the frame all the way in the back and I had to crawl under there with a flashlight to retrieve him. He really didn't trust me that first day but he is coming around finally. He stopped ruffling his wings at me and will accept being hand fed now.

 

[Mantis Lady]

He leaned down slowly and deliberately then bit the palm of my hand between my thumb and forefinger pretty hard.

outch. If see how mantids eat, I can imagine how it hurts Gladly I am not bitten yet.

Then she wrapped both raptors around my finger!

That feeling I know, never knew how much strength there are in those frontlegs. Bob did that one time. And the urge not to hurt him trying to get my finger free. I could get him off whitout hurting him

 

[Synapze]

outch. If see how mantids eat, I can imagine how it hurts Gladly I am not bitten yet.

That feeling I know, never knew how much strength there are in those frontlegs. Bob did that one time. And the urge not to hurt him trying to get my finger free. I could get him off whitout hurting him

I was shocked at how strong her grip was! It was hard fighting the primal urge to to rip or slap her off, but since I didn't want to hurt my favorite, I just toughed it out.

However, if she had started chewing on me again, I don't know how successful I would have been trying not to hurt her. If she ever does it again I'm going to give her a mist of water to the face to see if the puts her off her meal... me. ?

 

[Predatorhousepet]

If she ever does it again I'm going to give her a mist of water to the face to see if the puts her off her meal... me. 

It works for cats and mantises definitely hate being sprayed with water directly so I'm thinking that would probably be an effective method to get her to let go. 

I know what you mean about their raptorial arms, they are surprisingly strong for such a little creature. When I hand feed them with long tweezers they will sometimes grab the end along with the insect and it can be difficult to get them to let go of the tweezers while keeping their meal. No wonder they can hunt crazy large prey and be able to hold it still even though it is struggling for it's life. Have you seen the videos of them going after things like fish, mice, and hummingbirds? Crazy.

 

[Synapze]

Have you seen the videos of them going after things like fish, mice, and hummingbirds? Crazy.

Yes! They're amazing. ?

However, I despise the "Mantis vs. ____" fight "to the death" videos. Not that it makes a difference, but many of them use expensive specimens which seems a waste, but just as cruel. I saw a video recently where a kid is riding his skateboard with a mantis riding on the front of the board. The mantis jumps, gets run over by the skateboard wheels, THEN the human idiot had the nerve to act upset that he killed his pet! I'm guessing this guy probably isn't a straight A student.

 

[Predatorhousepet]

However, I despise the "Mantis vs. ____" fight "to the death" videos. Not that it makes a difference, but many of them use expensive specimens which seems a waste, but just as cruel. I saw a video recently where a kid is riding his skateboard with a mantis riding on the front of the board. The mantis jumps, gets run over by the skateboard wheels, THEN the human idiot had the nerve to act upset that he killed his pet! I'm guessing this guy probably isn't a straight A student.

Yeah those videos are awful some people will literally do anything for views no matter if it hurts another living creature in the process. However to them they are "just" insects and the general population doesn't get up in arms over it like they would if they tried to make a similar video pitting furry animals against each other. I've seen videos from little kids imitating the VS videos with whatever insects they find in their yard like they think this is a cool and acceptable thing do. 

And the kid with the mantis on the skateboard ? He was probably just thinking about making a cool video and not considering the safety of his pet...as adults we can easily predict something like that will probably happen.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Have you seen the videos of them going after things like fish, mice, and hummingbirds? Crazy.

yeah, I have seen those vids, but I will never feed my mantids a mouse.

I despise the "Mantis vs. ____" fight "to the death"

I don't like them too.? for us they are pets, not just insects.

 

[Nicolas]

The chinese mantis I have is literally a bottomless pit when it comes to feeding 

 

[Mantis Lady]

My female creo is a bottomless pit too

 

[Synapze]

The chinese mantis I have is literally a bottomless pit when it comes to feeding 

Mine as well. She'll snatch food out of my tongs as soon as I get close enough. ?

 

[Synapze]

My female creo is a bottomless pit too

Does she eat faster? I think my female does now. I haven't tried to see how much she can eat in one session, but she's had 3 grasshoppers this evening and I'm pretty sure she'd go for more if offered. ?

 

[Mantis Lady]

She eats faster than the male or the male takes his time to eat his dinner. @Synapze 3 grasshoppers? in 1 go? and what size? adults?

 

[Synapze]

@Little Mantis Approximately ¾ of an inch, medium I guess. It took her about 30 minutes. 

 

[danl82]

My largest female sphrodomantis (subadult) is an eating machine right now. Gave her two mid sized locusts the other day. Whilst eating one she saw the other, grabbed it without letting go of the first. She killed both and was holding one in each arm munching from each in turn and looking very pleased with herself.

 

[MantisGirl13]

My S. gastrica adult gals could eat forever and NEVER get any bigger!!!!  Lol.

- MantisGirl13