Curly wing flies as a feeder

[Thrillhouse]

I haven't heard any mantid keepers talk about curling wing flies as a good feeder insect. I don't like the idea of having flying feeders, and I doubt my girlfriend would ever change her mind on the no bugs in the fridge position. Curly wing flies, as a flightless house fly, seems like a good alternative.

Is anyone supplying these, or know how to culture them?

 

[Bureaucraat]

Personally, I really like curly flies as feeders. While keeping them in the fridge they can be kept a long time and turn very active once they are out and warmed up. I usually put the container with curly flies just a little moment in the freezer before feeding, so they become unconscious for a short while and easy to handle.

I just buy mine online, heard that they produce a nasty smell when you try to breed them.

 

[CosbyArt]

I haven't heard any mantid keepers talk about curling wing flies as a good feeder insect. I don't like the idea of having flying feeders, and I doubt my girlfriend would ever change her mind on the no bugs in the fridge position. Curly wing flies, as a flightless house fly, seems like a good alternative.

Is anyone supplying these, or know how to culture them?

The Curly wing fly (Musca domestica strain variety) is a uncommon/rare feeder to find here in the US (seems more common in the UK) and with little benefit so are not known by most members. Also most keepers place fly pupae into the mantid habitat for the flies to hatch directly into the habitat as needed, so flight is only a concern to attract a mantids attention.

For the fridge problem the easy solution is to simply buy a used fridge for your bug related goods. I got myself a like-new mini dorm fridge from Craigslist for only $25. I would suggest searching such ads and local 2nd hand stores (thrift stores, pawn shops, etc) to get one too.

For the mutated strain of Musca domestica it depends on your location, which is not listed. For example in the UK here is a supplier. To culture them you must have the mutated strain of flies already - you can not mutate them at home as it seems you may be asking. If however you want to try to culture some you have bought here is a guide, but be warned they are difficult as said in the guide for various reasons, and is smelly process as with any housefly (and likely not worth the effort).

 

[Tehshlendo]

I don't know much about the curly wing flies but I had similar issues with the flies in the fridge issue with my wife. I ended up getting a small wine cooler with a digital thermometer that works great and was pretty cheap, also ends up being very quiet too.

 

[MantisRCool]

Curly wings are good, but also pretty small so they are ideal for smaller mantids or lower instars (like drosophila is too small already but big fly is too big and they don't like crickets or mini cocroaches much either). But breeding them is difficult because of the right temperatures, and yeah they do smell bad. I'm trying to breed them for the first time just now, there are some worms at the moment, but I don't know when it's the right moment to take them off the heat.  Also it's like 10 worms out of 20 flies atm lol