Anyone ever have blood drawn by their mantis?

[Nicolas]

By this I mean while handling.

For example, today, I was cleaning out the enclosure of my adult male African mantis and as I was trying to get him to go back into his enclosure, he just clamped on my ring finger and would not let go! I eventually got him to let go with a bit of effort and to my surprise he actually drew a considerable amount of blood from me! I'm not mad at him or anything, if anything, I'm impressed he managed to break my skin.

He's in that phase where he's really cranky. I have no adult females of this species and he's been an adult for over two months now, so he probably doesn't have much life left in him sadly... my last male had similar behaviors like this where they kind of just become super cranky after some time being an adult. My chinese mantis didn't last nearly as long as the one I have now though! Wonder why that is?

Anyway, I actually don't know the exact species of this mantis either. Here's a picture of him two months ago:

And the cut!

 

[Synapze]

Ouch! I've only had the skin broken twice by a mantis. Once because I was letting one drink from droplets off the back of my hand, the other pierced my skin with it raptorials... both unintentional. It's surprising how strong they are when they clamp down on finger. Getting them off without freaking out and injuring them is the tricky part. ?

Looks like a Sphodromantis aurea to me. 

 

[minomantis]

That actually happened to me this morning.  I was trying to pick my female Chinese mantis up and she was going a little slow for me so I tried to scoop her.  In scooping her, I put my finger under one of her front legs and she clamped down.  I saw her mouth open as to bite me and I quickly got her off.  Talk about stressed.? Some species are just a little more aggressive than others!

Also, I'm pretty sure that you have a female in the picture and not a male!

 

[MantisGirl13]

Wow! That must have hurt! I agree with minomantis; your 'male' is a girl! 

I have been bitten by chinese and G. Africans, though I have only gotten a blood blister, not a real cut!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

Yikes... Uh well no I guess i have only been 'stabbed' at but that only startled me and (I screamed...)... I get spooked pretty easy (!) esspecially by my brothers saying 'boo' when I am sitting quietly in my room thinking or typing so I probably over reacted...!

 

[Mantis Lady]

Not bitten yet, but only was pierced by my mantis raptorials, but I got my finger free without hurting him. Just a smal drop of blood. That way I learned that mantids having strong arms for a insect.

 

[hysteresis]

Eeek! ?

 

[Nicolas]

Wow! That must have hurt! I agree with minomantis; your 'male' is a girl! 

I have been bitten by chinese and G. Africans, though I have only gotten a blood blister, not a real cut!

- MantisGirl13

Nope, he's a male! He just happened to be particularly well fed here - look at abdominal segments and you'll see something's off for him to be a her

 

[MantisGirl13]

@Nicolas

No, I am pretty sure it is a female. Can I see a couple more pics of 'him'? When they are adult like that, it is easiest to tell by the body shape of the adult. Has he ever flown?

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

Yeah at first sight I would say it is female too. I like to see more pics of him/her too

 

[Nicolas]

He's definitely a he. I just took that picture specifically to make him seem like a really big guy!

Here's more pics: 

 

[Synapze]

?

 

[Jaywo]

My cranky old Chinese Mantis bit my youngest daughter and drew blood but it wasn't that bad, maybe a drop. Traumatic but not bad. Maybe it is the end of the life rage scenario.

 

[solaris]

My adult female Prohierodula picta latched onto my finger and tried to eat it once. She'd pinched a bit of loose skin and must have decided she'd caught something tasty. Eventually had to block her from biting with a bit of paper and pry her raptorials off but she still got a couple bites in. Ouch.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Actually, I'm reconsidering my opinion. The end of the abdomen looks like a male's. I think you did guess correctly, @Nicolas! Sorry for doubting!

- MantisGirl13

 

[minomantis]

Yea, sorry for doubting, that first picture really looked like a female??

 

[Rick]

Many times but usually wild caught. They pierce you with the sharp points on the ends of their forelegs.

 

[Nicolas]

None of my females ever exhibit active hostility towards me when I attempted to handle them. It only happened to males, usually the older males too. Is it really the cranky life-is-almost-finished phase? I thought it had to do with them being cranky about not mating. 

 

[Synapze]

One of my adult Chinese females suddenly turned aggressive to the point that she couldn't be handled. It only lasted for a couple of weeks then she was back to her normal "friendly self.