Hangs All The Time (Female Chinese Mantis)

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MARKII

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She hangs like that all the time (NON STOP). She's been doing that since I got her (2 Days). The setup inside was different than it is today. There were branches and green leaves and everything, and she didn't perch on them or anything.

She's ate 3 different bugs in that enclosure, while hanging upside down. (Fly & Moth yesterday. Stink bug today).

I feel the blood is going to rush to her head, and she's going to fall.

She's in her final instar, is what I've heard. I count 6 abdominal segments.

Is this normal?

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ALL THE TIME. Never comes down. I also give her water and everything, which she drinks from the top steel mesh. The tempature is 75, the humidity is 60%.

What am I doing wrong? I've never seen a mantis do that before. Is this alright, or normal?

I take her out, handle her, let her walk around the 8 ft table on the right, and everything no problems. Her first meal with me was her in my hand, and she caught and ate a small moth off the inside back door screen door. She's not depressed, or anything like that.. So idk what's going on.

 
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You aren't doing anything wrong, it is very normal for them to hang like this. I had a very similar cage lid and both my female Chinese Mantids hung off of the roof nonstop all their lives. Although there are sticks in the cage, they seem to prefer to hang from the top. They developed no problems from it. She is a beautiful green and looks very healthy. This is completely normal, my brown female is hanging in that position right now  :)

 
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No need to worry! Mantis hang like that all the time and especially in enclosures. 

I had a ten gallon that I decorated so nicely with sticks and shrubs and my mantis would choose to be on the top of the cage as her favorite spot. 

Mantids like to find where the heat source is and hang out there and since the light we put on them comes from above, that's where they hang out the most. They do go where the heat is. 

I would just pay attention to how she reacts to the food. If she strikes but doesn't catch the prey, she could be shooing the food and preparing for the final molt. Watch the wing buds as they help a lot in figuring out when the molt is getting near. Just keep misting so there aren't any molt complications. 

Good luck and keep us updated! 

 
Hanging upside down is normal, and typically how they spend 90% of their lives. As far as the abdominal segments see this link on how to identify a male/female mantis, as it should be 5 or 7 segments (the first segment behind the last set of walking legs doesn't count).

Indeed as your mantid does have it's wings it is an adult and in it's final instar, and will not molt again. For care information, read the caresheet on the Tenodera sinensis here. For the various 60+ Chinese mantises I've kept, the females eat 4-6 blue bottle flies every other day, males eat much less and can go for a week without eating normally.

 
Alright, so that's good news then.. I'm relieved to hear it's normal for her to hang like that forever. It's reassuring to hear it from everyone here. I'll stop worrying so much, and finally relax.  :lol:

Thank you.  :)

 

minomantis said:
Watch the wing buds as they help a lot in figuring out when the molt is getting near. Just keep misting so there aren't any molt complications. 

Good luck and keep us updated! 
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What's wing buds? She has a little brown towards the end of the abdomen. Is that what you're talking about. I count 5 segments.

 
My ghost does the same thing and stays in the same exact spot for days at a time. Like all the other people who are much more experienced than me at keeping mantids are saying, it's a very natural behavior! And it's actually a good sign that she is strong, healthy, and normal. A mantis that can't cling to the top or side mesh of its enclosure is a sick or injured mantis.

As for her wing buds, they will be little well, buds. For lack of a better term. There should be 4 and they will be located where her thorax and abdomen meet. I wish I could post pictures from my phone. I could try to get a pic of them on my ghost.

But I can see that from the picture she appears to have wings so she's an adult.

Being an adult, I would be just a bit careful with her when you hold her and play with her as whatever injuries she gets she can no longer heal with subsequent molts. They can heal from some injuries but it won't heal as well as it could if she could fix it with a molt.

 
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LazarusMantid said:
My ghost does the same thing and stays in the same exact spot for days at a time. Like all the other people who are much more experienced than me at keeping mantids are saying, it's a very natural behavior! And it's actually a good sign that she is strong, healthy, and normal. A mantis that can't cling to the top or side mesh of its enclosure is a sick or injured mantis.

As for her wing buds, they will be little well, buds. For lack of a better term. There should be 4 and they will be located where her thorax and abdomen meet. I wish I could post pictures from my phone. I could try to get a pic of them on my ghost.

But I can see that from the picture she appears to have wings so she's an adult.

Being an adult, I would be just a bit careful with her when you hold her and play with her as whatever injuries she gets she can no longer heal with subsequent molts. They can heal from some injuries but it won't heal as well as it could if she could fix it with a molt.
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Alright. I'll keep that in mind.. Thanks so much for the information. I honestly didn't know that, and I'll keep that in mind when handling her.

Does anyone know how long she might live for? Being that she's in her final instar?

 
Hanging upside down is easier on them since it doesn't require as much energy as standing upright and holding their heavier body parts up against gravity. It also makes them more secure as they can be high up on a perch, but hidden from predators like birds that might be flying above them.

 
LazarusMantid said:
Ranitomeya said:
Hanging upside down is easier on them since it doesn't require as much energy as standing upright and holding their heavier body parts up against gravity. It also makes them more secure as they can be high up on a perch, but hidden from predators like birds that might be flying above them.
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I actually didn't think of that. That's a really good theory. Thanks so much. wow.. Some really smart people on here.

 
MARKII said:
Alright. I'll keep that in mind.. Thanks so much for the information. I honestly didn't know that, and I'll keep that in mind when handling her.

Does anyone know how long she might live for? Being that she's in her final instar?
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As adults they tend to live 4 to 6 months on average, of course some live less or longer depending on various factors.

 
I prefer using non-metal tops for larger species of mantids. The little hooks on their feet (called tarsi) can get worn down and eventually break on big and heavy pregnant females, which can cause mobility issues down the line. It isn't a necessity but something to consider.

 

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