Feeding an extremely timid nymph

[PowerHobo]

Looking for some pointers on the title.

I've got a wild caught nymph (L4 or L5 if I had to guess) that just molted 3 days ago and hasn't touched food since. I think it may have simply gotten too large to be interested in the D hydei running around its container, and I just happened to have accidentally cultured pinhead crickets, so I have some that are about the size of house flies.

The problem I'm having is that the crickets hang out exclusively on the bottom of the container, and the nymph is definitely a "sit and wait" eater. I tried offering one of the crickets with forceps, but this nymph is extremely timid, and runs (scrambles, really) from the forceps. I tried turning the lid over and just placing the cricket on it so the nymph could snatch it up on its own, but this nymph basically tries to escape and run any time the lid is opened, so that just resulted in a short game of hide-n-seek the 3 or 4 times I tried it. This little one has taken more 5ft leaps to the floor than I would like to admit.

Basically, this WC nymph is the polar opposite of my giant shield, who knows no fear and takes no prisoners.

I appreciate any wisdom in advance.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Put the nymph and the cricket in a not in a  too big  enclosure so the nymph can hunt it himself. That is what I do when they are not used to be fed by tweezers. And just watch the nymh grab it.  It will take time  but if he is hungry he will grab it, if not try the next day.

Good luck

 

[MantisGirl13]

Whatever you do, DON"T have the cricket in a cage with the mantis unless you are watching. They can be known to attack the mantis.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

Always watch with crickets , yes. I always watch my mantids eat no matter what A adult cricket tried even to bite me when I was preparing it to be fed.

If the mantis still not showing interest in hunting, cut the cricket in 2 and try to hand feed the mantis with tweezers. put the abdomen under its mouth. let it taste it. most mantids will be eating then. if the mantids grab it you can let the prey go.

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Whatever you do, DON"T have the cricket in a cage with the mantis unless you are watching. They can be known to attack the mantis.

- MantisGirl13

It's usually adult or near adult crickets that do this and usually only after a mantis has molted (notice I say "usually") They will nibble on the mantis while it is still soft and can't defend itself. However, it should be fine to feed a pinhead cricket to your nymph. Just to be safe remove the cricket if it is still uneaten after a couple hours and try again the next day.

 

[MantisGirl13]

@Predatorhousepet Ok. Thanks for making it clear what I was trying to say.

- MantisGirl13

 

[PowerHobo]

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll try putting them in a smaller temporary feeding container. I'm also going to try putting out a shrimp trap to hopefully catch some house flies. It's just been so damn hot out that we don't seem to have any flying insects around the house lately.

cut the cricket in 2 and try to hand feed the mantis with tweezers. put the abdomen under its mouth. let it taste it.

I actually tried this at first, thinking it was just scared of the full-size pinhead, plus I've watched videos of people feeding mismolted nymphs this way, but this guy will literally just do a defensive strike at the tweezers and then jump from wherever he is (whether he has a safe place to land or not). Jumping is kind of his thing. He also scrambles around like crazy at random. I actually feel a bit guilty about keeping him in captivity.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Your mantis needs to learn to be handfed.  My mantids moved their heads away at first too. It is weird for them to see prey in their faces like that. With time it will going better that is my experience .when they know there is something to eat in there.