Ego issues / Post traumatic shock disorder with my Sphodromantis "Blue Flash"

[itzjustjeff]

I have 3 sphodros right now. two of which are males and one is female. The males are doing great and are active hunters. The female on the other hand...I think I may have raised her wrong. When she was in her second instar, I tried putting in a housefly to see if she'd be able to catch it; however, after striking for it and missing or not being able to grab it with enough strenth, my female sphodro decided to run away from it instead, with gusto. I mean she literally started jumping off walls and running faster than I ever knew she could. Now, she is L4. I tried feeding her a TINY dubia maybe 1/4 of her size and the moment she failed to grasp it she started running again. This time, the top of the deli cup was open and she ran straight up and right into the glass of my exo-terra. It was pretty loud for such a small insect. Has anyone experienced something like this? I didn't even think they had the capability to remember anything! I'm currently back to feeding her FFs to boost her ego? Sounds silly...but at least she's eating this way

 

[Rick]

I really don't think it has much to do with memory or anything. I have witnessed many a mantis act the exact same way as you describe.

 

[Bryce08]

Ive had many as well act the same way, in fact my orchids I had acted the same exact way. Give her a few molts, after some molts, seems to change personality a little, make some suddenly become agressive.

do you have a HF? next step i use after hydeis

 

[itzjustjeff]

Yeap I've tried Hfs. She runs from those too though. The only things she'll take down right now are melangosters and hydeis

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Some mantises are just pansies. You sure you don't have your boys and girls confused though? Usually most of my pansies turn out to be boys. =p

 

[itzjustjeff]

haha I guess time will tell. I'll post pictures later on.. It wouldnt hurt to have a different perspective

 

[CoolMantid]

Jumpy Species tend to be afraid of everything. Try to let her sit for a while until she calms down. Then place a fly (HF) in her cage. if she is scared then I dunno.

 

[crucis]

Lol someone on these forums called such behaviour 'freaking out', and the term has stuck with me Really alarming when it happens. Individuals certainly vary in relative 'courage' but I wouldn't rule the trauma from the housefly out, because I remember having a couple of mantids which were reluctant to tackle the same kind of insect after a single bad experience in early nymph-hood. I Suspect that they memorise their movements or something; that's how they learn to ignore ants in the wild.

I think your mantis has a similar sort of instinct ingrained in it, like 'Don't tackle anything that looks big enough to fight heartily?'

Just a thought...

 

[itzjustjeff]

I guess I dont see any harm done here. One claw one ff; it works out!