Inexperienced Mantid?

[collinchang635]

I have an ant mantis which has never seen a mealworm before. I put a mealworm inside her container after not feding her for 2 - 3 days as she prepared to molt. I thought she would be pretty hungry and would catch anything in sight but although she was hungry, she did not eat the mealworm. Instead she saw it and started backing away slowly as if the mealworm posed a threat. :huh: After she backed away, I put the mealworm in front her a few more times. One time, she batted the mealworm away and kept on backing away. Did she do this because she has never seen a mealworm before? :huh:

 

[_simon_]

Perhaps the mealworm was a little on the large size? My asian did the same thing with a locust yesterday. In the end I took it out and offered a smaller locust which it took straight away.

 

[Andrew]

The mealworm was probably too big. Big mealworms can overpower and kill a mantis, so be careful to feed the right size.

 

[idolomantis]

meal, bufalo, and superworms are very nasty creatures, they easily can kill you mantis. i used them as fastfood for my asians, when it was to big they pulled threat pose inmedietly.

 

[Rick]

Most likely due to the shape or the size. Mantids don't normally eat "worm" shaped creatures.

 

[hibiscusmile]

All of mine eat them, but u guys got me with all this worm talk and all I can say to it is...

Yuck, poo, nasty!

 

[collinchang635]

My ant mantid just ate the worm today. I put in a worm tha was not too big and she ate it. On the first try to get the worm, she caught it but soon let go when the worm hit her in the face. On the second try, she caught the worm and ate it. The worm had just molted so it was very soft and nice for the mantis.