Have you noted a roach maturity preference

[nasty bugger]

I was wondering what stage of development I should order some dubia blat roaches in.

Wondering if the mantis' seem to like a specific stage better, as I havent really notice them demonstrate any preference as to taste or anything. I guess Charley Tuna would be outa luck using the starkist commercial on mantis tv.

Have you noted a particular nymph stage or adult that they actually prefer, or are some of them just like morris, whom I'm sure has lived out his nine lives.

I figure it's just to what they can catch, or maybe size has more to do with it than flavor.

Curious if anyone has observed if mantis' prefer roachs that observe a strict diet of if they seem to like a roach that is flavored more due to it's diet. Maybe an odor from the diet may stimulate them more, as that is alot of the flavor thing.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I was wondering what stage of development I should order some dubia blat roaches in.Wondering if the mantis' seem to like a specific stage better, as I havent really notice them demonstrate any preference as to taste or anything. I guess Charley Tuna would be outa luck using the starkist commercial on mantis tv.

Have you noted a particular nymph stage or adult that they actually prefer, or are some of them just like morris, whom I'm sure has lived out his nine lives.

I figure it's just to what they can catch, or maybe size has more to do with it than flavor.

Curious if anyone has observed if mantis' prefer roachs that observe a strict diet of if they seem to like a roach that is flavored more due to it's diet. Maybe an odor from the diet may stimulate them more, as that is alot of the flavor thing.

Wow, that's a lot of questions, NB!

I only use cinerea, but I think that a hundred "mixed size" roaches are the best deal financially and work well both as a starter culture or to feed different sized mantids.

In my experience, mantids will take the largest roach that they can handle. I fed a sub adult sinensis (just under 3") a 11/4" roach today, with a much greater mass than the mantis, and it was taken within seconds of being put into the enclosure. I'd say that size is definitely the major factor here. I don't think that mantids have discriminating taste buds!

I always feed my roaches a varied diet of whatever fruit and veggies are handy but always leave some dog food in their enclosure. I do have an elderly female peacock, though, that I got from Peter and which is so spoiled that she will only eat roaches and nothing else. I suspect that the preying reflex in mantids is stimulated more by the prey's movement and appropriate size than by its odor. They will even eat stink bugs if they are hungry.