Catchin’ Flies and Giving Out the Prize

[PhilipS]

Catching house flies and flipping the 8oz or 32ox container upside down over the 32oz mantid container.

Zipped some holes with the 7/8” (21mm) step drill bit and plugged with the breathable foam from MantisPlace.

Fly either drops into the Mantis’ container or the Mantis climbs up and claims the prize. Win Win!

No more catching and mistakingly releasing.

 

[Introvertebrate]

You just have to rely on the possibility of the flies going down instead of up. A bit contrary to their instincts, but............

Maybe punch some holes in the bottom of the mantis container, and then place the fly container underneath. The flies would have to somehow crawl though that excelsior forest though.

 

[PhilipS]

In the picture the fly did just that; mantis captured the fly downstairs.

2 out of 3 flys dropped, and one Mantis went upstairs.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Nice setup, thanks for sharing. Please get rid of the excelsior in the containers. The mantis you are showing do not need that in their way.

 

[happy1892]

Is the Japanese Tenodera aridifolia the same species as Tenodera sinensis in the US?

 

[PhilipS]

Mine arrived labeled Tenodera aridifolia Sinensis.

Some articles online refer to them as one or the other.

 

[happy1892]

Okay. I used to raise what they called "Tenodera aridifolia" in South Korea when growing up, so I was curious whether those in South Korea were the same species as the "Tenodera sinensis" or "Tenodera aridifolia sinensis" here in the US where I am now.

Here on Mantodeaspeciesfile (http://mantodea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1184312) it says that the Tenodera aridifolia are a different species from Tenodera sinensis. And a synonym Tenodera aridifolia japonica is listed as a synonym of Tenodera aridifolia aridifolia. Japan is beside South Korea, so maybe the South Korean ones that I raised were Tenodera aridifolia aridifolia? I also raised Tenodera angustipennis in South Korea.