Is it just me or...

[MantidLord]

Are some species of mantis just extremely more active than others? I'm not even referring to the exotic species of mantis either. I ask this, because I have my chinese mantids in an enclosure, and they're almost constantly moving around. Sometimes they'll find a spot to chill for a couple of hours, but then they go on their voyages and wandering sprees. They're not fat, nor ready to molt, it's a constant behavior. As opposed to europeans, ground mantids, and Iris oratoria specimens that I've had that just find a spot and sit there. I tried adding things to their enclosures, and experimenting, but I've given up and just chalked it to them being more active. I guess they can afford it, being a large species and all. Just wanted to share this observation and get some thoughts.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I find the smaller ones are more active, bigger seem to be lazy, r u housing more than one together?

 

[MantidLord]

It was nearly the opposite for me. The L1s seemed more relaxed. I'd take some out and take pictures and they'd just walk around, not jumping unless provoking. And yes, I have two males together that I'm going to separate next molt. However, they're in a 50 gallon tank, and rarely come in contact with each other considering all the foliage and and the fact that they climb glass.

 

[Findarato]

Some of my 12 Hierodulas are more active than others. There are two (one male and one female) who tend to wander in their enclosure. The male I noticed quite early (at L3-4) running around the others who were more relaxed and preferred to stay in one spot. This has not changed when he's now L6.

I guess these are individual traits. They are even different sizes, although they are from the same ooth.

 

[lancaster1313]

When I had Chinese, they were in separate containers. Most of the Chinese would be moving around and seemed to follow any movement in the room, especially in the evening. I would feel so bad for them that I would let them out, one at a time, on a fake flower I had in a vase nearby. There was also plenty of scratching and tapping after the lights were out. <_< :lol: It isn't nearly as bad with my Carolinas.

 

[dgerndt]

I think it just depends on the mantis. I have several mantids of the same species, and some like to sit in one spot, while others love to climb all around. I like to take all my mantids out to get exercise, though.

 

[Findarato]

I like to take all my mantids out to get exercise, though.

That's what I do as well. They can sit or move around on my 1,5 m high tree which is in my room over the winter and will go back to the balcony when it gets warmer. Then I will get another, smaller plant, maybe a ficus. Just for the mantids to climb on. As I said, some of mine like to roam around, other just sit and look out f the window. as people are different, so are insects, probably. The tree is big enough so 3-4 mantids can be there without meeting each other.

But Deby, if your mantids are out, beware of your cats. I just have a dog and she would not eat a mantis (although she eats anything else she gets).

 

[dgerndt]

That's what I do as well. They can sit or move around on my 1,5 m high tree which is in my room over the winter and will go back to the balcony when it gets warmer. Then I will get another, smaller plant, maybe a ficus. Just for the mantids to climb on. As I said, some of mine like to roam around, other just sit and look out f the window. as people are different, so are insects, probably. The tree is big enough so 3-4 mantids can be there without meeting each other.

But Deby, if your mantids are out, beware of your cats. I just have a dog and she would not eat a mantis (although she eats anything else she gets).

Hee hee, thanks for the warning. I keep my cats out of my room when I take my mantids out. They're less interested in my swaying mantids than my jumping crickets, though.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Chinese are easily the most active species I've personally kept. It is one of the things I like about them. I routinely take my mantises out, and all other species I have will spend about 95% of their time chilling on my desk plant. The Chinese mantises I've had however often want to go exploring. They are also more active as far as moving when it comes to hunting down prey than a lot of other mantises I've come across. Waiting patiently for food... forget it. Mine would often run circles around their cage after their goodies. I have a two feet high by three foot long cage and fondly remember one of my adult girls racing from the top down to the bottom, across the ground then back up while in a quest for running down a cricket. Another one of my personal favorite hunting moves I have witness with this species is when they launch themselves off the walls/ceilings and catch their prey mid leap.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I think that you will find that extreme activity is associated with species whose ooths produce a large hatch. Three Chinese ooths from the same mother in the same vicinity, hatching at once, will release between, say 600 - 1,000 mantids in a small area. All of that cute scampering is due to the dispersal instinct that makes them spread out. When they hit the sides of the cage they set off running in a different direction. I think that the stress that this causes is a major cause of death among such mantids, particularly Chinese.

I shall be very interested in any ideas, preferably documented, on this topic.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I think that you will find that extreme activity is associated with species whose ooths produce a large hatch. Three Chinese ooths from the same mother in the same vicinity, hatching at once, will release between, say 600 - 1,000 mantids in a small area. All of that cute scampering is due to the dispersal instinct that makes them spread out. When they hit the sides of the cage they set off running in a different direction. I think that the stress that this causes is a major cause of death among such mantids, particularly Chinese.

I shall be very interested in any ideas, preferably documented, on this topic.

I haven't noticed added stress with mine in cages but then again I think I tend to raise my nymphs in larger containers than most people since I go straight to mesh cages and skip the dinky deli cups. I can't speak much on the Ooth to death ration in comparison to other species since the only mantises I hatch from ooths have been Chinese. I have however noticed right from the start that there is a disparity in health for some of the nymphs. I always do what I call the water test when picking out which nymphs I'm going to keep while the rest are released in the garden. The Chinese nymphs are always eager to take water after hatching and I will look for nymphs that bend to drink and plump up and when finished don't show any signs of spitting up. It isn't unusual however to pick a nymph up that will bend to drink that won't plump at all even after trying to drink or one that will keep spitting up then try to drink that back up only to spit back up again. Makes me question how healthy they would be in the long run. Meanwhile I've never lost a nymph/had it not make it to adulthood that passed my water test. Of course my method is far from scientific. =p

 

[Morbo]

Compared to my Budwings and Sphodromantis lineola, my chinese are easily the most active. I find them to be more nervous as well. The budwings are the calmest, most sedentary mantids I've kept yet.

All of my mantids are L5-L7, so maybe their activity level will change as they grow.

 

[dgerndt]

I love your avatar picture, Morbo!

 

[Morbo]

I love your avatar picture, Morbo!

Thanks! Many of those old sci-fi movies are hard to forget!

 

[MantidLord]

Thanks for the replies guys, very insightful. Krissim Klaw, I've never seen my mantids do any of the amazing things you described, like leaping and catching a meal, do you feed them flies as well? Mine are fairly active hunters, but they still employ sit and wait tactics from time to time. Phil, your suggestion about the cause of this makes sense. However, I would imagine the scampering would die down as 1) they get older and 2) the mantis population density decreases. I guess the general consensus is, yes this species is active. Even my recently purchased adult female is active and she seems to large to even move :mellow:

I really do love this species though, so large and so inquisitive, always looking around and watching every single move anyone or anything makes. I kept all nymphs from a single ooth inside this 50 gallon tank, and they've been in there since. And considering the amount of foliage and other hiding places in there, I know for a fact that they weren't always running into each other, so stress (from constant contact with siblings) probably wasn't the main factor. Although, obviously nearly all of them died. The death rates were spread out among the L1-L3 stages, rather than half of them dying out in L1.

One question though, which is kind of off topic but relating to these guys. If the female goes unmated, and she deposits an unfertile oothecae, is that any indicator of how much time she has left to live? I know that when mated females mate and produce ooths, a common misconception is that they die soon after although that assumption is false. Is the same true for unmated females?

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I don't feed many flies, but I do feed a lot of wild caught such as moths and butterflies. I think most of the daring moves I've seen with hunting has often been when feeding butterflies. Their wingspread makes them a nice large target so the mantises don't have to be so precise when striking. They also flitter about so much and are a very stimulating target. Some mantises are timid at first by how large they appear do to their wings, but most Chinese mantises quickly figure out how to tackle them and become apt at taking them on.

As for life expectancy don't worry she should have many ooths ahead of her even if she is infertile. I know I had one girl that managed 12 infertile ooths over her life. I've also had unmated Chinese females that ended up eggbound who also lived perfectly natural life spans.

 

[dgerndt]

I witnessed one of my Ghost nymphs chase down a flightless Hydei yesterday. I've never seen any mantid other than my Chinese do that.

 

[warpdrive]

I witnessed one of my Ghost nymphs chase down a flightless Hydei yesterday. I've never seen any mantid other than my Chinese do that.

ghosts will chase down food if they are hungry. they are kind of funny at times.

oh, and maybe your ghosts are like mine and they never read the care sheets and just do what they want instead of staying still and waiting for the food to come to them. :blush:

Harry

 

[MantidLord]

Yeah, I know what you mean Krissim about the wings sometimes intimidating the mantids. But flying creatures do illicit a more active hunting response than other prey.

How can you tell if an unmated female is eggbound? And thanks for information.