Hatching Chinese Mantids - let them eat eachother?

[Zapins]

I heard that one method of getting past the difficult first instar stage is to let the newly hatched mantises eat each other until you have only a few left. Is this possible or even a good idea?

I bought 5 egg cases off ebay (since they didn't offer fewer). Unfortunately I can't raise 1000+ mantids, so I'm not sure what to do with the excess. I might keep 3 eggs outside in the cold so they hatch in spring in the garden while keeping 2 inside for keeping as pets.

Thesea are the common chinese mantises.

What are your thoughts/recommendations?

 

[sally]

is it ok to release chinese in your area? i think they will be more agressive in some areas then the native species. how about the freezer until you find a home for the oothes?

 

[ismart]

I personally would only keep one ooth inside and leave the rest outside to over winter naturally. One ooth should be more than sufficient. I would not just rely on cannibalism to weed them out. Most will just starve that way. I suggest you purchase some D. melanogater fruit flies a few weeks prior to hatching.

 

[agent A]

I'll take a few ooths...

 

[Zapins]

Sounds good. But how do I know if the ootho I choose will be fertile?

I've seen chinese mantises in my area before in CT, not too common but they are around so I don't see the harm in releasing them. I'm not sure where to check for the regulations on that either.

agent A sounds fine with me. I'll be back over thanks giving, or I could post some to you for shipping costs.

 

[Rick]

Sounds good. But how do I know if the ootho I choose will be fertile?

I've seen chinese mantises in my area before in CT, not too common but they are around so I don't see the harm in releasing them. I'm not sure where to check for the regulations on that either.

agent A sounds fine with me. I'll be back over thanks giving, or I could post some to you for shipping costs.

There is no way to know really. The practice of leaving them all together is one I use. The point isn't so you don't have to feed them, but more so that you can reduce their numbers. With a species like this it isn't practical to separate hundreds of tiny nymphs and care for each of them individually. Very few will make it to adulthood either way. Leave them together but feed them fruit flies. When you get down to a number you can manage then you can separate them. By that time you will be left with the best of the bunch.

 

[selkielass]

I found two chinese mantid lotus the other day while walking and was wondering about hatching them out...

Thanks, this thread helps some- the sheer numbers seem amazing from such small bits of foam.

I guess ill winter mine a while outside before attempting to hatch them- im still trying to figure out f.f. culturing. I think my low humidity is working against me.

 

[Rick]

I found two chinese mantid lotus the other day while walking and was wondering about hatching them out...

Thanks, this thread helps some- the sheer numbers seem amazing from such small bits of foam.

I guess ill winter mine a while outside before attempting to hatch them- im still trying to figure out f.f. culturing. I think my low humidity is working against me.

It is very simple. Not sure why you are having issues. I use commercial medium and a pinch of yeast and never have problems. The use of commercially made medium removes one variable (homemade medium).

 

[Ntsees]

I also use Rick's method of leaving them together, while supplementing them with fruit flies, until there's a good number to keep. You just don't have enough room for all those mantids. For me, the ones that had the opportunity to cannibalize (very fat stomach at the end) molted to the next stage faster than it's other siblings. It almost makes me think that mantids are nutrient rich.

 

[Zapins]

The mantids are L3 now, when should I start separating them? I've got about 30 or so.

 

[Mime454]

The mantids are L3 now, when should I start separating them? I've got about 30 or so.

Yesterday.