Escaped Mantis Tips?

[Connor]

So it seems like bad luck has been following me around. Though this time it was entirely my fault. Today I was excited for because I was going to be breeding my G. Amoena. So I got them together in a net cage, messed around with them and with 30 minutes the male finally jumped on and they connected. Left them in their net cage and I unzipped part of it just in case the male wanted to escape(but I was going to check on them every hour or so). Well on my next check up I saw the cage across the room, upside down, and no mantis to be seen. The damn CATS again. I forgot and I left the door open. I don’t think the mantis are dead because I found no limbs, wings, or anything. Plus our cats usually only play with bugs. I’ve searched the room and the entire floor for a good 2 and a half hours with no luck. There are so many nooks and crannies. My guess is they are gonna be up high... I’ve checked the ceiling and high places a million times.

Does anyone have any tips to try and find mantis? These guys are tiny. Just over one inch. Is there any way to lure mantis? I’d appreciate any help I can get. 

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

ive had a few escapes. 

They tend to climb high, check windows. Most likely your mantis is catching a nice breeze on top of a cabinet and you actually dont see him. You'll find him eventually. Just watch your step.

 

[River Dane]

If you have another female, you might be able to lure the nmale in with her. I’d be more worried about the female, though. Could the ooths and nymphs survive in your area?

 

[mantisfan101]

All male mantids are generally attracted to light. Shine a broght light in your room and turn the lights off and HOPEFULLY the male will come flying towards you. Worked with a stagmomantis male for me and attacked the bulb(and almost burnt to a crisp!) Before I managed to rescue it. 

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Ironically I might bring the cats back in and watch them carefully to see if they are drawn to a certain area. Otherwise I second keeping the room on the dim side and leaving a light on or blinds up on windows during the day. Just be careful with the light as someone mentioned that it doesn't have a bulb in it hot enough to burn the mantis. One of the reasons I was eager to switch to LED bulbs is there is zero risk to the mantises if they decide to climb all over the light source.

 

[Connor]

@PrayingMantisPets Yeah I figured they might be high up. I will for sure be watching my step. These little guys are so tiny!

@FluffyMantid not a bad idea. Problem is my other females still have a week or so before they start calling. And yeah I care way more about the female. Not sure if the ooths would hatch? I think the humidity would be a bit too low.

@mantisfan101 I tried turning off the lights and using my phone flashlight before I posted this. Couldn’t find them but I will definitely try the method you pointed out. I’m thinking of leaving some kind of light on tonight for them to go to. 

@Krissim Klaw that’s actually sounds like a amazing idea. I’m gonna try bringing the cats back in. They have better eyesight then me and they scare the out of the mantis. 

 

[cwebster]

Have found escaped nymphs high up in the bathroom, near windows and on walls. 

 

[Connor]

@cwebsterok, that’s what I was thinking. thanks for the tips

 

[cwebster]

Hope your prodigal mantis has been found.

 

[Connor]

@cwebster unfortunately they have not been found.. not sure where they went. Maybe one day I’ll wake up to 60 little nymphs all over my room

 

[Mystymantis]

Mantises seem to be able to hide and blend in even in obvious places.  I hope you can find them.

I have had my Carolina's disappear when I have left them out to breed. Even if I close the door and they are only in one room they are so hard to find! Once I didn't find the female until several hours later at the top of the highest bookshelf in the room. And I think it took even longer to find the male. Who was on a place  I had looked at least a dozen times. So maybe yours will come out of whatever hiding place they are in. Good luck!

So keep checking the most obvious places like windows and places where light come in. And even not so obvious places.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

ive had a budwing mantis ooth hatch in my room. Nymphs were everywhere in my room. 

 

[Serle]

Had a Miomantis P. hatch a volunteer ooth in my office ,... 

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I remember literally going through my entire room one day searching for a mantis. She is the only mantis I lost one day and went to bed unable to find. The next day I spent nearly all of it going inch by inch through my room. Through draws, closest, nothing was spared. A few hours after finishing the search to no avail I found her in my mother's room across the hall. :surrender:

 

[Connor]

@Mystymantis yeah they certainly do blend in! My missing ones are only a inch long! It’s gonna be tough to find them. I will be sure to keep checking though!

@PrayingMantisPets geez that sounds like a mess! 

@Serle wow those guys are tiny and those ooths hatch a lot! Sounds like that took some effort to get them all cleaned up lol

@Krissim Klaw well that sounds stressful. Glad you found her. Unfortunately I haven’t had a lot of time on my hands lately so I can’t really search that hard for her.

 

[Teamonger]

I once lost one of my male Mios for 3 days before I found him happily munching a loose fly in the window where I almost vacuumed his tiny butt up.

Perhaps loose a few flies? They will hang out on the windows for sure and the mantises might follow the delicious treats?

 

[Connor]

@Teamonger sounds like a good idea. Except for the fact that I absolutely hate flies loose in my room lol. I will give it a try in the next few days though.

 

[Teamonger]

@Teamonger sounds like a good idea. Except for the fact that I absolutely hate flies loose in my room lol. I will give it a try in the next few days though.

Right? Thankfully my loose flies were black solider flies which are WAY less noisy and generally less rage inducing then bottle flies for sure. I nearly lost my mind any time a bottle fly got loose but the BSFs were always just hanging out and I didn't mind. Still it might be worth a try, just have a fly swatter on hand

 

[Ocelotbren]

Right? Thankfully my loose flies were black solider flies which are WAY less noisy and generally less rage inducing then bottle flies for sure. I nearly lost my mind any time a bottle fly got loose but the BSFs were always just hanging out and I didn't mind. Still it might be worth a try, just have a fly swatter on hand

Rage inducing haha.  We just got back from a trip and when my husband walked in I thought he said "I just heard a bee", and I thought for sure it was a blue bottle fly that had escaped while my friend was over feeding for me.  Turns out he said "beep" and it was the CO detector out of batteries.  Much less rage inducing since you can just unplug it!

@Connor Geez, that sucks.  You might be surprised to stumble across them unexpectedly someday, but in the meantime, everyone's suggestions seem like great ideas.  Hope you come across them soon.