Behavior of Mantids...

[HunniBunnixo]

This evening I noticed one of our larger Budwings (P. Agrionina) kept tapping on her lid and pacing the cage. I fed her a fly and she STILL kept doing this! I kinda got worried cause i didn't want her to stress herself out, so i got her out of her enclosure. As a typical child wanting out of their car seat or stroller...she ran straight up my arm as soon as she got the chance! LOL  :lol: (Freeeeedom!!!) However when i got out the yucca to let her chill she kept doing all these weird poses and would come back to me. One pose she would turn to look at something and flip her abdomen up and flatten it out.   Then she would lay complete flat. Raptors out in front and be real still for awhile before returning to normal posture. Is she just being silly, feel scared or feel threatened or what? Totally different behavior I've seen out her. It was sorta cute.  ^_^  Just curious if any other species out there do this behavior too and if it is normal? She is an L5/L6 currently. 

(Wasn't sure where to post this topic...not really a "health issue" per se. ) 

 

[Sarah K]

II had a male chinese mantis that used to start tapping and bitting at his screen cage top. He would do it as soon as I came in the room, and just wouldn't stop! One time I decided to spray water through the top and he had a drink. After that he stopped doing it, so I decided he was doing it to let me know he was thirsty, since often when I come in the room that is the first thing I do is spray water through the tops of the mantis enclosures.

 

[hibiscusmile]

They really are smart, ever notice how u give them a fly and they take a bite and throw it down? They want water!~ Aw! take him out and give him some on a plastic spoon!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Flattening out is a sign of stress. I call it the twig pose as they tend to resemble rigid twigs when doing this. If the threatening thing keeps bothering them many will release their hold on whatever they are clinging to and fall the ground, staying ridged to maintain their act. Flipping up the abdomen, especially with flared claws is a threat pose, also done when stressed. Usually these behaviors are short lived. The mantis will see something or be touched unexpectedly and either try to hide via the twig pose or scare off the scary thing with the threat pose. Generally once they realize whatever it is isn't a threat, they will relax and return to normal.

 

[HunniBunnixo]

Flattening out is a sign of stress. I call it the twig pose as they tend to resemble rigid twigs when doing this. If the threatening thing keeps bothering them many will release their hold on whatever they are clinging to and fall the ground, staying ridged to maintain their act. Flipping up the abdomen, especially with flared claws is a threat pose, also done when stressed. Usually these behaviors are short lived. The mantis will see something or be touched unexpectedly and either try to hide via the twig pose or scare off the scary thing with the threat pose. Generally once they release whatever it is isn't a threat, they will relax and return to normal.

Aha! That explains it then. My son kept peeking over my shoulder and she would see him and do one of those poses. After a few seconds she would "relax" again and start to groom or go back to typical mantid posture. I also changed her enclosure today cause she seemed to be having trouble gripping to her old enclosures sides. It was a Kritter Keeper and she acted as if her tarsals were sore and just dragged along. Also noticed she kept getting snagged on the organza that covered her lid so i moved her to enclosure with a lid that had screen mesh. Think all that moving around might have caused some unwanted stress today.  

@Sarah K @hibiscusmile I agree! They indeed are very, very smart and become well trained to who feeds them or when it is feeding time. I also noticed she was quite thirsty today during her normal feeding. May have to just give her a mist more than what i normally do. She actually enjoys a "shower" lol. Thank you for your input! 

 

[hibiscusmile]

Hope she does well now.

 

[MantisRCool]

aaww so cute!! Some of my mantis ( especially p. Laticollis ) did this stress pose when my boyfriend showed up I was like ###### did u do to them lol. But I guess they are just used to me and nobody else. They love me lol

 

[HunniBunnixo]

aaww so cute!! Some of my mantis ( especially p. Laticollis ) did this stress pose when my boyfriend showed up I was like ###### did u do to them lol. But I guess they are just used to me and nobody else. They love me lol

Thank you! She is indeed a sweet and cute girl! I wish my camera could capture all her colors! Her raptors are a beautiful pink with brown speckles!  :tt1:  What strange colouring for a Budwing! 

Rey is the same way as yours are as well. She likes to hang out with me more than my sons. (Hubby thinks they're weird LOL...in reality he is the odd one  so there is no attachment there.) Mantids truly are fascinating and wonderful insects. <3 

 

[CosbyArt]

Glad to see you figured out the cause of the stress. Even without stress they will often sit around in that position, see here. One of the many interesting things about keeping them.

 

[dmina]

My mantis start tapping when I walk into the bug room... they just want me to take them out...

 

[rudebega]

The twig pose was something I was wondering about, too! I called it the "superman" pose in my posts about it, though. They look like they're about to go soaring off into the sky.