Don't feed fireflies!

eyes · Jun 7, 2012

Fireflies emit some sort of sticky goo that will stick all over your mantid and gum up its mouth, legs, head, etc.

It's weird, I can't even tell where the stuff came from but once the mantids took a bite it was all over the place (without any apparent harm to the firefly). The mantis will immediately throw the firefly away but the sticky stuff remains.

patrickfraser · Jun 7, 2012

Here's pictures.

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=14310&hl=firefly&fromsearch=1

happy1892 · Jun 7, 2012

Maybe not all fireflies are like that? I have heard they were bad for mantids.

Rick · Jun 8, 2012

Never heard of any issues. Another member who doesn't post anymore had a real neat pic of a mantis at night eating a firefly. The mantids entire head was glowing from the inside.

eyes · Jun 8, 2012

I don't know but these were terrible. After reading some more I think the sticky goo stuff may just be the firefly's insides. It got all over the place like it had been sprayed out and it was sticking to the mantis's legs and head. Weird. The mantis was running around and shaking trying to wipe it off.

In any case they didn't like the taste at all which apparently is common because the fireflies have some sort of horrible tasting chemical in them. Having tasted fireflies on accident many times as a kid I have to say I agree. It's an extrodinarily bitter taste.

In the picture of the glowing mantis that looks like a much larger mantis than my L5 guys, maybe they can eat them when they get older.