MantidLord
Well-known member
Hi guys, it's been a while. My little band of eleven I. oratorias have gotten older, and some reached adult stage. I recently ran out of crix large enough for the older mantids, and when I went to the store, they only had small crix, so I got superworms. Which i think are just larger mealworms? anyway, I put the superworms in the mantids' enclosure, and they ran down toward the thing, and hesitated. They didn't know how to strike it. One picked it up, but dropped it. The next day, as the mantids ignored the superworms, I tried to hand feed them to the mantids. But even as that occured, when a mantis would grasp the superworm, it would immediately let go. So I pierced the superworms, and the mantids fed on them. I also noticed that superworms have these pierce-like claws. I know that mealworms are beetle larvae, so is it the same for superworms? I also noticed a super worm feeding on the remains of anther superworm, so are they predators, and can they harm a mantis? Also, should keep hand feeding the superworms to the mantids, or will they eventually be able to capture this new prey? All their lives, they've only eaten aphids, fruitflies, house flies, and crix (and the occasional sibling). Or should I stop using superworms all together? thanks for any input. BTW: the scientific name is Zophobas morio, just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about. Thanks!