How come I cant find any mantids?!?

[MANTIS DUDE]

Well, I found a lot that is right next to a lake that Is packed with hundreds of feeder insects, bees, crickets, moths, butterflys, wasps, ants, wierd small spike like insects that I cant identify. It has a lush rainforest of grass, bushes, vines, moss, ferns, herbs, etc. WHY CANT I FIND ANY MANTIDS!?! :huh: It would seem that these are the perfect conditions for them and I want to find at least one before the whole things built over with a house. Ive found a bunch of other things like, a cross spider, giant butterfly, grasshopper, scarab beatles, love bugs. Ive looked at noon and at dusk but I still don't see any.Does anyone have any ideas on why I dont see any?

P.S. Pardon me if I seem a little frusterated.

 

[idolomantis]

ehh i mantis is kinda build for camoflage, you need also a large amount of luck. yuu can also buy some natives.

and i hope you didnt expect to find tons of em.

 

[Meiji]

Well, I found a lot that is right next to a lake that Is packed with hundreds of feeder insects, bees, crickets, moths, butterflys, wasps, ants, wierd small spike like insects that I cant identify. It has a lush rainforest of grass, bushes, vines, moss, ferns, herbs, etc. WHY CANT I FIND ANY MANTIDS!?! :huh: It would seem that these are the perfect conditions for them and I want to find at least one before the whole things built over with a house. Ive found a bunch of other things like, a cross spider, giant butterfly, grasshopper, scarab beatles, love bugs. Ive looked at noon and at dusk but I still don't see any.Does anyone have any ideas on why I dont see any?P.S. Pardon me if I seem a little frusterated.

Since I started a post about wild collecting last night I responded to you there.

 

[chrisboy101]

u gotta have sharp eyes B)

 

[MANTIS DUDE]

u gotta have sharp eyes B)

I do! B)

 

[Rick]

It is easier in the fall when the mantids are breeding. Also you really have to get experienced at locating them. They can blend in very well.

 

[Andrew]

Don't bother trying to spot them. Just take a big net and start sweeping it through the grass. You'll find a whole plethora of insects.

 

[obregon562]

net. net net net. all you need!

 

[acerbity]

Here in Florida I only see Gonatista Grisea, which is a trunk / bark dwelling species, so I don't think sweep netting would be effective other than by a good deal of chance.

This can give you an idea of how hard it is when searching through acres of trees or brush.

 

[Christian]

Mantids are distributed locally. There are habitats which are completely free of mantids, even if they look suitable in our eyes. In order to find something, you have to search more than one potential habitat.

 

[idolomantis]

mantisonline

these spieces live in florida.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

mantisonlinethese spieces live in florida.

Everything's in German. :blink:

(I really need to learn German... some time or another.)

Mantis dude, you'll have to wait a bit before finding mantises, they come out mid-august where I live.

Depending on where you live (this will work in an area with lots of plants and trees) you can leave a ligth on outside during the night and check a couple times before you hit the sack. I've found around four chinese males doing that.

Also, I've found that you're likely to find female mantises at restrutants, I've found three girls hanging out at a couple restrutants. I find the males at hotels, motels, or homes. It might not always be the case but that's my exprience.

 

[Rick]

I agree with Christian. I never have much trouble finding them in places they live without the use of a net. Nets tend to damage the mantis.

 

[collinchang635]

There are two way that i know of. One of them is dragging a net across the bush. The other way that I know of is putting a white coloured cloth/rag/something that covers a wide area under the bush and start to hit the bush. All of the insects that jump to the ground should jump onto the white surface. If you just look for mantids without using any special method, you must have very good eyes. Mantids are usually right in front of us but we just can't see them.

 

[MANTIS DUDE]

There are two way that i know of. One of them is dragging a net across the bush. The other way that I know of is putting a white coloured cloth/rag/something that covers a wide area under the bush and start to hit the bush. All of the insects that jump to the ground should jump onto the white surface. If you just look for mantids without using any special method, you must have very good eyes. Mantids are usually right in front of us but we just can't see them.

I think the first method of finding mantids would be extremely helpfull! Whenever I even put my foot down in the field, an explosion of all kinds of insects flys up in my face! :lol:

 

[chrisboy101]

I think the first method of finding mantids would be extremely helpfull! Whenever I even put my foot down in the field, an explosion of all kinds of insects flys up in my face! :lol:

theres loads of exotic insects in florida

 

[nympho]

i dunno, but i find it depressing someone will soon destroy such a fine habitat for all those creatures esp the small spike like insects! :mellow:

Well, I found a lot that is right next to a lake that Is packed with hundreds of feeder insects, bees, crickets, moths, butterflys, wasps, ants, wierd small spike like insects that I cant identify. It has a lush rainforest of grass, bushes, vines, moss, ferns, herbs, etc. WHY CANT I FIND ANY MANTIDS!?! :huh: It would seem that these are the perfect conditions for them and I want to find at least one before the whole things built over with a house. Ive found a bunch of other things like, a cross spider, giant butterfly, grasshopper, scarab beatles, love bugs. Ive looked at noon and at dusk but I still don't see any.Does anyone have any ideas on why I dont see any?P.S. Pardon me if I seem a little frusterated.

 

[MantidLord]

I agree with nympho. In May, when I was spraying and pulling weeds in my yard, I found I. oratoria nymphs running jumping off the weeds. I caught as many as I could, because I was destroying their habitat. The only place they had to go was the wall on my house, or a bush. But the bush was a couple of yards away, and they would have to travel across a field of rocks. The point is, the population of mantids around my house severly dropped because I destroyed their food sources and habitat. Which is why I plan on releasing half of next years generation in my backyard (where there are some trees). I can only hope some of the mantids were able to find shelter and food.

 

[Precious]

The few mantids I've found in the wild I found on my butterfly bush. Believe me, the mantids are there you just can't see them! They are very elusive. I release Chinese on my butterfly bush and they don't leave. When I'm out harvesting bees I play "Where's Waldo" and try to find the Chinese and sure enough they're right in front of me but I have to scrutinize the bush to see them.