Hand Feeding

[Curiosity]

I have a disabled mantis. She molted into adulthood a few days ago and her wings are oddly crumpled, also her claws seem to be immobilized. She is one of my most wild mantises and doesn't really trust me, certainly not enough to take food from me, but she can no longer hunt. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to accelerate her acceptance of hand feeding, because it's the only way she's going to eat now, or if I have to go with "she'll eat when she's hungry." I don't think this is an emergency.

 

[MantisGirl13]

What species? When did she last eat? Can you post a picture?

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Curiosity]

She's European, she last ate. . . I don't really know. The last time she caught prey and ate it was. . . she molted on the 22nd, so the night before that. I can't post a picture; a friend is borrowing the camera. It's not the wings I'm concerned about, and that's the visible problem. She doesn't act like she's starving. 

Which leads me to my next question: If I basically shove her face in the stuff I'm trying to feed her, I can see her mandibles moving, same way they do when she eats, although she's sort of knocking her claws up against the spoon and clearly trying to get away. Does that mean she's actually swallowing some of it, or is she basically just chewing and spitting? 

 

[MantisGirl13]

If her mandibles are moving when you try to feed her then she is trying to eat.

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Curiosity]

Oh, good. That'd help explain why she doesn't act like she's starving. . . what about the fact that she also tries to get away at the same time? It doesn't make much sense to me. . . then again, I got pretty well reminded this morning that I've been in this hobby for four years and managed to learn almost nothing along the way.

 

[MantisGirl13]

If you are trying to feed her via spoon, you're probably not going to get very far. Try holding the prey with tweezers and hold it by her mouth (with juices exposed) 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Curiosity]

Okay. . . thanks for the tip. I found an anecdotal story on some site about someone successfully keeping a fairly messed up mantis alive into November via spoon feeding (although I wonder why the mantis concerned couldn't hunt; its walking legs were defunct, not its claws), so that's what I tried.

I'll try what you suggested as soon as I work up the nerve to actually kill the prey myself. . . I have no problem letting my mantises hunt, but I also try to avoid killing bugs myself. Ants excepted, since they killed Nansen. I'll go after them if they're anywhere near my remaining mantises now. I sure hope some lacewings show up tonight. . . 

Thanks.

 

[MantisGirl13]

What do you feed? I use mealworms. THey are very easy to rip the head off of and then hold up to a mantid's mouth. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Rotsuoy]

@CuriosityI agree with @MantisGirl13! If you don't feel comfortable ripping the heads off by hand, you can pretty easily pop the head off with a butter knife, and they tend to wiggle quite a bit after (sorry to sound grim!) so you shouldn't have problems triggering her prey drive. The best part about mealworms is that lots of pet stores carry them. You can just go raid their fridges near their reptiles and/or fish. Or, you know, not be me and ask politely where they are.

 

[Curiosity]

I used a lacewing and two moths, as of the last couple of nights. It worked perfectly - thanks, @MantisGirl13! And. . . @Rotsuoy I had no trouble getting her to eat even though the prey was completely still. She hadn't eaten in about a week. I ended up crushing the heads with a rock. . . honestly seems like a more humane way for a moth to die than what my mantises normally do.