Free Food!! Should I??

[lectricblueyes]

Found a nest of these worms. Silk worms? not sure what they are. But, they are free... and I imagine a big huge bucket with a bunch of holes poked in the top along with me misting and throwing green leaves in there would sustain these guys. The question I have for you, my lovely friends is... are they any good for the mantids? Are they toxic?

What I like about them is, so many of my mantids wait patiently on the roof of their enclosures for something to come crawling along the top/lid/roof. Well, crickets don't go crawling up to the top and fruit flies are too small. These guys would crawl all over and therefore, easier to reach for the mantids

Here are some pictures:

 

[Rick]

Mantids will eat them. My herps love them and I have used them as mantis food. You can feed anything and if a mantis shouldn't eat it they know and will drop it. Usually toxic caterpillars are brightly colored.

 

[lectricblueyes]

Mantids will eat them. My herps love them and I have used them as mantis food. You can feed anything and if a mantis shouldn't eat it they know and will drop it. Usually toxic caterpillars are brightly colored.

Cool, thanks Rick I figured it was okay but wanted to check in with you guys. You are right about the bright colors... that's a general rule for all animals in nature.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Cool, thanks Rick I figured it was okay but wanted to check in with you guys. You are right about the bright colors... that's a general rule for all animals in nature.

Yay! Tent moth caterpillars! At least I think so from your pix and the time of year. I used to see rows of trees covered in bag (gypsy) moth webs in Canada (Ontario) in the fall , and I used to feed them to my fish. No, they are not poisonous. They defend themselves from predators by making "tents" to afford a degree of protection. I think that your caterpillars are probably from the lackey moth, Malacosoma americanum (Peter would know) but most mantids don't care!

P.S. Be sure to feed them leaves from the same kind of tree that you found them on!

 

[Katnapper]

Good find, Lectric! I'm wondering if they will really climb to the top of enclosures like you think they will though! Also, I'm wondering about the moths they turn into. I'm now interested in looking to see if I can find some of these and grow the cats to adult to use the moths as feeders. Anyone know how long these might take to reach adult? Or if the moths would be worth the effort?

 

[PhilinYuma]

Good find, Lectric! I'm wondering if they will really climb to the top of enclosures like you think they will though! Also, I'm wondering about the moths they turn into. I'm now interested in looking to see if I can find some of these and grow the cats to adult to use the moths as feeders. Anyone know how long these might take to reach adult? Or if the moths would be worth the effort?

If these are the lackey moth, they take about ten weeks from egg to imago, and no, I don't think that this is a good feeding proposition, Katt. The caterpillars will want to weave a tent, but they won't want to stay in it during the day. I found this site that might help: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Tent_caterpillar#1.

Good luck!

 

[lectricblueyes]

Yay! Tent moth caterpillars! At least I think so from your pix and the time of year. I used to see rows of trees covered in bag (gypsy) moth webs in Canada (Ontario) in the fa

ll , and I used to feed them to my fish. No, they are not poisonous. They defend themselves from predators by making "tents" to afford a degree of protection. I think that your caterpillars are probably from the lackey moth, Malacosoma americanum (Peter would know) but most mantids don't care!P.S. Be sure to feed them leaves from the same kind of tree that you found them on!

Very cool info, thanks Phil! Bad news is, on my lunch break maintanence came and pulled the branch off of the tree. Appearently, some of the girls (and smokers) who go near that tree were afraid. Oh well, I suppose if I were determined I could shop around at the local forest preserve and find more

 

[Katnapper]

Very cool info, thanks Phil! Bad news is, on my lunch break maintanence came and pulled the branch off of the tree. Appearently, some of the girls (and smokers) who go near that tree were afraid. Oh well, I suppose if I were determined I could shop around at the local forest preserve and find more

Oh geez.... lol... I wouldn't have thought about that happening! :lol:

 

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Yay! Tent moth caterpillars! At least I think so from your pix and the time of year. I used to see rows of trees covered in bag (gypsy) moth webs in Canada (Ontario) in the fall , and I used to feed them to my fish. No, they are not poisonous. They defend themselves from predators by making "tents" to afford a degree of protection. I think that your caterpillars are probably from the lackey moth, Malacosoma americanum (Peter would know) but most mantids don't care!P.S. Be sure to feed them leaves from the same kind of tree that you found them on!

Yes yes I think Phil you are right we get tent moth here in Co not bad there just a bit of A pest so who ever that tree belongs to should be gratfull you cleand there tree, now what you can do to get the leaves off take the odd small new growth then you can say your just triming the tree by hand or what ever you have.

Danny

 

[hibiscusmile]

Tent caps! we have a lot of them here in OHIO! I hate them myself, but I do use them, especially for baby birds, I sometime gives a treat too.