Amazing Mantid Story

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Nov 21, 2013
Messages
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Location
Phoenix, AZ
I saved 2 beautiful Iris Oratoria Mantids from the cold last year in Phoenix. Now I have too many to handle. I have also had so much heartbreak from mismolts and injuries. . . I'm trying to downsize. Unfortunately, the indoor mantids are not acclimating to the outdoor 115 degree weather; I have to find them homes. I decided after the ones I have are gone, I will not raise them anymore; I decided to just enjoy the beauty of the outdoor mantids in my garden.

My story about my Mandy in the garden:

I met Mandy when I accidentally poured a bucket of water on her while watering her plant. She looked lifeless in the puddle and I quickly brought her in and dried her and fed her a cricket. She did the sweet little "mantid dance" for me and I put her back on her plant. So then I always saw her on the plant when I went out to water the garden. A month passed and she molted to an adult. A couple days ago, I did not see her. I did not want to pour water on her again so I called her. SHE CAME!!! She ran up the plant and just looked at me. Why did she do that? I dismissed it as coincidence.

Last night there was a monsoon. Winds were ferocious and the rain was pouring like buckets. I found her stuck in a wet blanket that I was using for shade. I took her inside again and fed her a cricket. This time I waited a couple hours for the monsoon to pass before I let her go. Yes, she was squeamish at first, but she quickly looked at home. I wanted her keep her but I couldn't.

I tried to put her back on her plant. She kept running up my arms like mantids do. Finally when I got her on the plant she ran to the top and jumped off and SHE FOLLOWED ME!!! I tried a couple more times, and she kept running up the plant and SHE TRIED TO JUMP ON ME!!! The last time I tried to put her on her plant, I looked at her and tried to ask her nicely to stay on the plant. SHE JUMPED ON MY NOSE!!!

Since it is supposed to storm again, I tried to put her on my rose bush under a shade cloth. She ran up and is hanging out on the underside of the shade cloth. It is safe there from storms, but she has no access to males, or much food since she won't stay on the bush. She is trapped. I felt bad leaving her there. . . I'm not sure what to do now. She touched my heart. I want her safe. Did I ruin her chances of survival outdoors?

What happened? Does anyone else have an amazing mantid story?

 
I love this! If her trying to stay with you doesn't say love, I dont know what would. Personally, I think she is trying to tell you that you both belong together. Can you get her out of where she is?

 
I saved one from the cold too I found it twitching on its side outside my door and took it in.I fed it and it ended up living another 8 or so months, but it was attached to me like your saying.no matter who let it out of its cage it would jump and fly from one room to the next till it found me and it would always climb up on my shoulder.not climb all over me or try to get on my head just go to my shoulder like a parrot lol. I could watch TV for hours or walk around and it would never leave my shoulder.I think mantids are a lot smarter than most people see them.

 
I have a subadult T sinensis that roams around my room and is free to do as she pleases, all the others are in enclosures, but this one (named angel) loves to sit on my bookshelves.

 
I think most non-human creatures sense you are trying to help, and appreciate it unconditionally...

Thanks for sharing

 
Thanks for the stories! I love to hear them. I think it is amazing that they can tell the difference from you and other people!

My Mandy is still under the shade-cloth. When I go to see her she runs towards me!

I'll figure something out. I just want her safe from storms and cats for now. I was thinking of trying to give her one of my males to mate with, but that would probably be his demise.

 
Thank you!

I love my Mandy! She is still outside, but she is definitely mine! I wish she would hunt , but she just waits for me to feed her now.

 
I had a sp. Lineola named Gretta.

she loved to be held and hang out with me. if I was not holding her she would just chill in the kitchen on our poinsettia plant and stay there.

it was her favorite place to snack on crickets or the odd moth if I found one.

I prefer Ghosts or Violins, but my wife only ever (kind of) "liked" Gretta

great story!

 
This isn't quite as relevant, as it doesn't pertain to mantids as much as other nature critter friends, but it's entertaining (to me) nonetheless.. There was a chipmunk that lived in a bush right outside my apartment for a few years. We called her Roomba (because don't they really act like Roombas when there's bird seed on the ground?). She was our adorable little buddy and would eat peanuts out of our hands all the time: instagram.com/p/oJg1HpC1ET/
A few weeks ago, I was on the couch having coffee and saw a large bird fly up to the building. I thought it was a mallard at first, so I went to go check her out. It was a hawk. I tried to scare it away, to no avail. It took off with my little friend in tow. Little lady was screaming in terror, and I was yelling at the hawk. I cried for my fallen friend. :(
She left behind her next of kin, thankfully, who has been timid until yesterday. I saw it sitting in the grass, watching me from a distance while I sat on the couch. I stood up. It came closer. I started walking to the door. It darted towards me. Opened the door- boom. Peanuts in the face. ^__^
I miss my roomba buddy, but I'm glad her little family lives on to keep me company.
side note: my friend Ashley is making this awesome comic and told me she'd write little roomba into the story *sniff* https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/devilsdue/squarriors-teeth-and-nails

 
Aww! I'm so sorry about Roomba. It must have broken your heart! Have you named your new little friend? I love to hear all criteer stories. Thanks for sharing!

 
furrymanmarbles said:
I saved one from the cold too I found it twitching on its side outside my door and took it in.I fed it and it ended up living another 8 or so months,
Click to expand...
8 more months after you caught it when it was getting cold outside? Was that just a guess or really are you sure she lived 8 or so more months?

 

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