Females flying?

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Chivalry

Chivalry

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Joined
Dec 24, 2011
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Location
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I was under the apparently mistaken impression that most females don't fly... obviously there are exceptions. When I take out my P. wahlbergii female the last few times she has been flapping. I thought she was just exercising but last night she took off and flew :) I'm 90% sure she actually IS female...

Which species have you had experience with females flying?

 
I have seen Hierodula multispina, Creobroter pictipennis, and Tenodera sinensis females fly for very short short distances. They do much better when they are thin.

 
My female wahlbergii rarely fly. I once had a female Orchid fly a short distance. It shocked me. It was days after her final molt. Can't think of any others at the moment.

 
I think many can fly till they become gravid 3 weeks or so after becoming adult, just needs to be a species that gets full wings, so no gongy or budwing etc. they only have half wing sets. But I don't think females see it the same way males do, males want to cover a lot of ground to find a mate and females just fly and go "wow what the heck was that I just did" :lol:

 
I have actually encouraged a few of my H. multispina females to fly a little bit before they got too fat, and it would no longer be safe, or possible. I have had better luck with the females than the males of that species. I feel like they don't get enough room to do all they would in the wild if they are always cooped up in an enclosure.

I just sway in front of them the same as if I would to get a nymph to jump, but a little farther. If they feel like it they will fly.

Even Stagmomantis carolina females have flapped their little wings while trying to jump farther. Although it isn't encouraged by me, it is kind of cute.

I have heard of people trying to toss mantids up in the air, but believe that is not a nice thing to do to any creature. :no: It would probably weaken their tarsae besides.

 
I've seen a few young adult Chinese mantids fly.

 
As long as the females have large enough wings in comparison to their body they can lift off, though it is often a loosing battle with gravity if they are on the heavy side. Last night when I was trying to convince my mom that mantises really aren't that scary, my girl, Knight, abruptly decided she wanted to stop walking from hand to hand and decided to flutter hop to my chest. I'm pretty sure my mom shed clean out of her skin when that happened. =p

 
Krissim Klaw said:
As long as the females have large enough wings in comparison to their body they can lift off, though it is often a loosing battle with gravity if they are on the heavy side. Last night when I was trying to convince my mom that mantises really aren't that scary, my girl, Knight, abruptly decided she wanted to stop walking from hand to hand and decided to flutter hop to my chest. I'm pretty sure my mom shed clean out of her skin when that happened. =p
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omg i would have ran away. mantids fascinate me but i have just been willing to start holding mine. i would flip if she decided to jump and flutter. that is why i am terrified of grasshoppers

 
D_Hemptress said:
omg i would have ran away. mantids fascinate me but i have just been willing to start holding mine. i would flip if she decided to jump and flutter. that is why i am terrified of grasshoppers
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I've had a number give me a facehug when they have abruptly decided they want to jump to me. I love them way too much to swat at my babies though.
 
D_Hemptress said:
unfortunetly to swing would be my first reaction. hoepfully ide miss so i wouldnt hurt her
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It is normal to want to swat away anything that lands on your face. It might take some practice and concentration to break the habit.

Fortunately, your mantis doesn't care if you don't ever handle or touch it in any way. It will be fine if you never mess with it, mabe even better off. :)

 
My female Chinese, when perched on my knee or something, will occasionally jump and flap her wings rapidly and glide a few feet. She is too heavy for her wings to support her though, as are most mantids.

 
Sybilla and majuscula are the only adult females ive witnessed fly.. almost every adult male species ives kept flew especially creos

 

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