Bees?

[colddigger]

bees have poison sacks, that's why some people are allergic, the mantis might just eat around it you have to remember that bees are like soft wasps...

 

[Asa]

bees have poison sacks, that's why some people are allergic, the mantis might just eat around it you have to remember that bees are like soft wasps...

All right, there are three types of bees that have 'poison sacs'. That's not a lot. A mantid will not get hurt by it, even if you manage to find one.

 

[Rob Byatt]

bees have poison sacks, that's why some people are allergic, the mantis might just eat around it you have to remember that bees are like soft wasps...

All right, there are three types of bees that have 'poison sacs'. That's not a lot. A mantid will not get hurt by it, even if you manage to find one.

What do you mean there are three types (spesies ?) of bee that have poison sacks ? As far as I know most bee species are have venom sacks. Oh by the way, a venom can be ingested without harm - it has to enter the blood strean directly to cause harm.

 

[Birdfly]

I have been feeding bees to mantids for a few decades, and wasps, and i've never yet had even a remotely scary moment. Not all mantids will want them but the larger species and some quite small flower type mantids will take them with ease.

Bees are particularily good because of the pollen laden baskets they usually carry not to mention variety.

As Rob says the venom/poison sack is eaten with no danger of affecting the mantids.

 

[Asa]

bees have poison sacks, that's why some people are allergic, the mantis might just eat around it you have to remember that bees are like soft wasps...

All right, there are three types of bees that have 'poison sacs'. That's not a lot. A mantid will not get hurt by it, even if you manage to find one.

What do you mean there are three types (spesies ?) of bee that have poison sacks ? As far as I know most bee species are have venom sacks. Oh by the way, a venom can be ingested without harm - it has to enter the blood strean directly to cause harm.

3 species. Many bees only bite, despite them having stingers. Venom enters the blood stream, through the Lymphus (forget how to spell ) So in order to poison anything to induce allergies, then it would have to enter through the upper and lower part of arms and legs.

 

[Birdfly]

Asa, are you saying that these "many bees that bite" introduce venom through their biting??

There are many more than 3 species of bee.

I can only decifer from the allergie bit that you mean anaphaleptic shock [spelling] which is induced by the injected venom only if you are allergic to it, if not then you just have an annoying sting. :lol:

 

[Asa]

Asa, are you saying that these "many bees that bite" introduce venom through their biting??There are many more than 3 species of bee.

I can only decifer from the allergie bit that you mean anaphaleptic shock [spelling] which is induced by the injected venom only if you are allergic to it, if not then you just have an annoying sting. :lol:

No, bees that sting produce venom. Many bees do not sting though.

 

[Birdfly]

Ah ok, i expect there are a few species that dont sting knowing how diverse nature is, in which case there is even less threat to a mantis.

I use just honey bees, and when really desperate i've taken the odd bumble, these do have stings and venom sacs but are still no threat to a creature thats evolved to eat them.

Wasps are more capable at defending themselves than bees, are also a successful predator, taking many types of smaller insects for there larvae, but again i've never had a scary moment.

Usa bees and wasps may be totally different bigger, more aggressive etc but i've seen the humble Tenodera a sinensis destroy a chinese hornet.

Some wasps [more solitary types] have evolved into top insect predator specialists, some specialize in caterpillars, spiders, orthopterans etc and i expect there might be a type or two in the world that specialize in mantids, we all know about the parasitic wasps

2nd edit, answer to original question: can i feed bees to my I diabolica ?

When your I diabolica reach a safe size they can take even the largest bees with ease and usual wasps, they seem particularily effective wasp and bee predators, jostling them around quite a lot, their large mandibles doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

But it would be wiser to get a good fly hatchery going as you cannot rely on bees and/or wasps.

 

[colddigger]

the ending of this is probably what's going to happen if you bother bees

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/joeybee

 

[robo mantis]

What?? lol That was long but thats what happens at the end

 

[colddigger]

yeah, credits appear

 

[Asa]

I don't like credits.