Hunting behavior

[Kara S]

I have what has best been identified as a sphodromantis lineola. He/she, George, molted yesterday morning, making it an L4, best guess. I moved him from his enclosure to a medium deli cup to eat. I added 12 small ff, his food up until now, and one tiny wounded (I wounded it) cricket that has been fed organic Bibb lettuce for 3 days. He ate one ff, then has been hanging out on the lid near the skewer that's in there. I was monitoring very closely for George's safety. The wounded cricket eventually made its way up the skewer. George attacked the cricket 4 or 5 times, with about 15 seconds in between each attack, then during the last attack, he grabbed the cricket and threw it on the bottom of the container, more wounded than before but alive.

Any idea why my mantis is killing and throwing its food aside?

Also, how soon after a molt are they hungry? Am I trying to rush feeding post-molt?

Here he is in the cup. Sorry, it's the best pics I could get.

 

[Kara S]

Here's George and the cricket to show size.

 

[Kermit]

Only 4 possible reasons:

#1: The prey is too big, but based on your picture I would rule that out

#2: the praying mantis is full

#3: praying mantis is sick, or

#4: praying mantis is about to molt

My guess is he's about to molt, in which case you want to take the cricket out and just observe over the next day or two. Having any prey in the cage when the Mantis is molting is very dangerous as they can eat a soft body mantis or cause them to fall from their perch and Mismolt.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Kermit]

Sorry I just read your post again and you stated that the Mantis recently molted. They sometimes won't eat for a day or two following the molt

 

[ashleenicole]

He may not be hungry. I've noticed that mine will bat prey away when they've had enough to eat, or if they are about to molt or have recently molted and aren't interested in food again yet. The cricket doesn't look too big for him, but if he's not used to larger prey it may take him awhile to start showing interest in it. 

 

[Kara S]

Thanks, Kermit and ashleenicole! He went after the cricket a couple of more times, but then avoided it for half an hour, so I offered him some organic unfiltered honey (he dipped his hand in it) and put him back in his enclosure. I ordered some housefly pupae online today after calling every pet/reptile/fish store in Houston, who do not sell them. I tried to collect him some small moths last night, but crushed them in my effort. I'm going to get a butterfly net after work. I'll try again tonight and set out some fruit to try and catch a housefly outside. He's still hanging out on the top of his enclosure and he is not vomiting or having watery poos, so I don't think he is sick. That was his first cricket experience, so he may not have even known what the heck was going on. Someone suggested on one of the forum posts to offer headless crickets, but I had a hard enough time getting one in his feeding enclosure. I'm not even sure how I would go about getting their tiny little heads off. Besides, I am slightly phobic about crickets and grasshoppers - one of the crickets got on me, then loose the other day and I nearly fainted and threw up, lol. The things I do for the little creatures I love. I'll stick with flies. Thanks so much for your feedback!

 

[Mantidaddicted]

From the photos George looks very well-fed and healthy, he may just be being stubborn. Since you said he doesn't have watery poops, etc. I wouldn't worry much about his health! And in the wild, Mantises can go days without food before starving, and George looks pretty plump. When I got Sweet Pea she didn't eat for 4 days, I thought she was going to molt, but no, she was just being a little stubborn girl. Just keep offering the food everyday and when he's hungry he'll go for it!

 

[ashleenicole]

Someone suggested on one of the forum posts to offer headless crickets, but I had a hard enough time getting one in his feeding enclosure. I'm not even sure how I would go about getting their tiny little heads off. 

Next time you're at the pet store you could pick yourself up a pair of feeding tongs, they're usually with the reptile stuff. I keep a few pairs around to feed my tarantulas and to hand feed mantids. If you can get a small enough cricket with the tongs, hold it in front of him and see if he will take it whole, this might make it easier for him to catch it and hold on to it.  

 

[Kara S]

Next time you're at the pet store you could pick yourself up a pair of feeding tongs, they're usually with the reptile stuff. I keep a few pairs around to feed my tarantulas and to hand feed mantids. If you can get a small enough cricket with the tongs, hold it in front of him and see if he will take it whole, this might make it easier for him to catch it and hold on to it.  

Woohoo! I used chopsticks to slightly squish, then pick up a cricket, then waved it near him like a fly. He grabbed it and ate all but one leg. I offered him another, but he knocked it out of the chopsticks, ran up the length of them, and perched on my hand for the first time ever! I am so excited!

 

[Starving Always]

he looks really stuffed! haha maybe wait when he poops it all out