Hello

[Searsy]

Hi all

My 8 year old son was given a giant asian mantis a few months back. At first I wondered what the heck I was meant to do with it once the novalty wore off with my son. But very quickly I became attached to the little thing, obsessed with watching it hunt, and actually found it really relaxing after a long day in the office. Even my friends went from calling me weird to being fascinated with her. We had her 4 months and she grew to about 7cm, and was so friendly. Sadly, I had a batch of crickets that were mating and were very agressive and she go bit one night. I was watching as it happened (spend way too long watching) and was able to get the cricket off her but she was oozing so much green goo from a wound I knew she wouldn't last. She was dead by morning.

We (my son has now regained interest too) now have a ghost mantis, a madagascan marbled mandis and a giant Indian Mantis, all varying ages (and an indian stick insect that lays eggs daily at the moment). I've been without problems (except the incident with the cricket) and all have fed and molted well but I am a bt worried about the ghost mantis. I've had her about 5-6 months, she was tiny and black when I got her, she is now green and about 4cm. For about 10 days I haven't seen her eat. I did think the crickets might be too big so I got some smaller ones. But I am now unsure about putting them in as she has been quite still for a while, is pale and thin, so I am wondering if she is coming to her final molt, or is it too soon and she is indeed just hungry? I don't want to disturb her but I also want to feed her if she is hungry. Any thoughts?

And... thanks in advance for all the information I will learn from your posts on here.

 

[patrickfraser]

Welcome. If it's the final molt, it can seem to take forever. Just try to feed her and if she doesn't go for it, just remove it. They will eat when they're hungry enough and you don't want feeders in there to disturb her if she happens to go into a molt. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Searsy]

Thanks. I'll do that... and I've put her in a room where she wont be disturbed too much. I plan to throw a cricket in during the day and remove in evening if not eaten.

 

[Rick]

Welcome. I can honestly say I don't ever recall a cricket randomly biting a mantis and killing it.

 

[Searsy]

Well she's eating now (literally), so perhaps she was just having a lazy few days. Can see her fattening as I type

Yep, it was nasty business with a cricket killing our first mantis. It bit her abdomen and held on till I knocked it off. It seemed not to be the bite that killed her but the loss of green fluid from her abdomen. We must have been unlucky. I know keep a very close eye on my crickets.

 

[Searsy]

 

[Mvalenz]

Nice ghost. Welcome to the forum.

 

[hibiscusmile]

yes, I have had crickets do that to, Rick was just lucky! welcome. also try to feed her some moths or blue or green bottle flies, crickets are ok, but she wants a treat!