Ants and isopods

[T.C.]

Hello, I have fed ants to my mantids in the past and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Are they safe though? Nutritional enough. Also how about isopods? Would that be a safe food? I doubt they would eat them, but has anyone tried?

 

[SpaceWolf]

I've had dozens of isopods walk around next to them, even when very hungry, they never try to eat them. I haven't tried ants though

 

[steeve]

I don't think ants are very safe; the biggest concern is they can easily turn and bite the mantis (most of them have pretty strong jaws) especially if they're the larger and more aggresive ants you find roaming sidewalks. If they escape in the enclosure they can team up and potentially kill your mantis. Plus, they're very "crunchy" and don't have a lot of meat on their exoskeletons. Most mantids won't go for ants when there's so much more appealing food around so it's probably easier and less stressful for them to stick to good ol flying bugs. Flying ants might be a good occasional snack though, I don't recall if they can bite or not. 

 

[Teamonger]

I had an ant beat up one of my nymphs and steal his fruit fly from him once. Haven't used them since. Ants are tiny badasses and can potentially hurt your mantis. I would not use them. As for isopods they should be fine but most mantises won't touch them. Not sure if they taste bad or what but I've been using them as cleanup crew and have never seen them eat a single one.

 

[Serle]

I'll put almost any wild feeder in with my mantids , wasps, bees or any thing with a stinger no.  Ants should be no prob.............  S

 

[SpaceWolf]

Problem is wasps and bees are big, so easy to catch for a mantis. Ants are small and could sting your mantis without him possibly grabbing it. Well at least european ants are small

 

[mantisfan101]

Ants would work for mainly tarachodids

 

[River Dane]

A wild group of ants snuck into one of my mantis' habitats and killed him. I don't think they're very safe. I also tried ants with another mantis before, but he grabbed it, and immediately dropped it, so I guess it bit or stung him. He never got near another ant again.