Auto-defense?

[Zephyr]

I have one adult female chinese who will never attack her food normally. She always rears into a full defensive posture and strikes at it, almost like she's out for blood!

Anyone else got a mantid like this?

 

[massaman]

is she due for a molt or just not ready to eat or just maybe is resting from a molt perhaps!

 

[Zephyr]

is she due for a molt or just not ready to eat or just maybe is resting from a molt perhaps!

She's been an adult for a week and a half. lol

 

[massaman]

I did get a female chinese mantis recently and she had the opposite as she scarfed down as many crickets as she could and she even grabbed another one as there was one half eaten in her other arm!

 

[superfreak]

she might not be used to the size of food youre offering her. try giving her something smaller. otherwise wait for a few days then introduce something into her enclosure again.

 

[PhilinYuma]

she might not be used to the size of food youre offering her. try giving her something smaller. otherwise wait for a few days then introduce something into her enclosure again.

[/quoteThis would be my guess, too, if you are feeding her larger or friskier prey than she is used to. Nymphs run away when outmatched, but adults, particularly females, because of their bulk, have to put on an Deimatic display if nervous. Please let us know what happens!

 

[Zephyr]

Well, she eats them... But it seems like everything I offer her triggers the defensive response. She was eating the same size prey items as a subadult... I was really just wondering if anyone else has a frisky mantis like this. lol