Can mantids be vegetarians?

[brancsikia339]

My friend wants a mantis, but he is not comfortable feeding live. Is there any way they can have a staple diet of vegetarian food like fruits or vegetables? I've seen videos but i don't think that that was a staple diet.

 

[CoolMantid]

No. They will not get enough protien for ooth laying.

Maybe mantids arent the best pet for him. Tell him about millipedes. They are vegetarians

 

[brancsikia339]

He's right here. I will let him write. This is him writing: what about if they hatch and the first thing that they eat is dead flies or fruit?????????

 

[CoolMantid]

Plus. They might even refuse eating bannas, apples etc. and die from starvation

 

[brancsikia339]

Would they eat prekilled it i moved them with a tong?

 

[CoolMantid]

Plus. They might even refuse eating bannas, apples etc. and die from starvation

They hunt. They wont crawl up to food and start eating it. They are born natural hunters they go after live, moving prey.

 

[CoolMantid]

Would they eat prekilled it i moved them with a tong?

I've tried that. Its not the same

 

[brancsikia339]

so they absolutely have to eat LIVE not dead not dying or anything

 

[CoolMantid]

They need LIVE prey.

 

[brancsikia339]

OK thanks

 

[CoolMantid]

Stag Beetles, Caterpillars, Millipedes, and Isopods are the only insects/crustacean? That are vegetarians

 

[Bryce08]

they do enjoy some treats like bannanas, but they wont make it with a full diet of no living food, just wont work.

 

[hibiscusmile]

If you are willing to kill and hand feed, then that will work, if you start missing feeding them, they wont survive unless u put in live food, they typically will not eat dead food that is not moving, but I have seen them do it, rare, but happens as they are smart enough not to starve to death if something is available.

 

[Mantiskid]

You could (OK this is a little gruesome) impale the prey item with a toothpick and put it in front of the mantis...I do this with my Creos, and there hasn't been one thime where they haven't grabbed the insect.

 

[rs4guy]

I've tried that. Its not the same

Not totally true, I have sucessfully fed freeze-dried crickets soaked in water with no isses when I was low on food. Just stimuate them with movement. Still, live is the way to go, and I would NOT suggest owning one if you are not into live prey. They NEED it.

 

[psyconiko]

They would eat dead preys if very hungry,I thought mantis would only be interested in moving preys but I was wrong.When starving they will "hunt" dead remains.I witnessed my mantids eating ooths or even dead old crix on the ground and none of these uncommon preys were moving.So it does not mean it is proper food but some mantis may survive by eating dead remains/fruits/honey/catfood/human blood?(I will try that last option soon)¨. :cowboy:

 

[Psychobunny]

I have seen nymphs pick cricket legs up off the floor and eat them!!

Very rare though.

 

[itzjustjeff]

I have seen nymphs pick cricket legs up off the floor and eat them!!

Very rare though.

My Creo gorges himself on Dubias and drops what he cant finish only to go down and pick it up for seconds sometimes.

 

[Chivalry]

Okay, I'm terribly curious... I have the impression from "he is not comfortable feeding live" that this is a kind of moral objection to feeding live food to pets. What is the difference, on this basis, whether you are doing the killing or the mantis is? Or is it just the logistical difficulty of keeping live food around?

I disagree with people who are vegans and refuse to feed their cats (true carnivores, unlike dogs) food containing animal protein. If someone isn't comfortable giving a pet food items that it needs, perhaps another pet would be better. It's the reason I've never kept snakes, actually.