Is this normal behavior?

[TheWolven]

I had a wild-caught Carolina mantis named Mocha and she’d did something I’ve never heard of a mantis doing. If I put my tweezers in her enclosure, she’d smack at it with one claw just like a cat swatting at something they didn’t like. Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

[brytewolf]

I know Demona did this a few times when I was hand feeding her. Just smacked the food away with her good claw. I took it to mean she wasn't interested in any more xD. Is...is this not normal behavior?

 

[TheWolven]

I know Demona did this a few times when I was hand feeding her. Just smacked the food away with her good claw. I took it to mean she wasn't interested in any more xD. Is...is this not normal behavior?

I had just never seen a mantis do it besides her. I always just expect them to swat like they would with catching food. It’s not a behavior I have seen discussed lol.

 

[brytewolf]

Yeah, it's a very different motion than trying to catch the food lol. Come to think of it, I haven't seen it discussed with all the research I've been doing lately either!

 

[TheWolven]

Yeah, it's a very different motion than trying to catch the food lol. Come to think of it, I haven't seen it discussed with all the research I've been doing lately either!

She always looked like an angry lil cat too! She was a lot of fun.

 

[brytewolf]

She always looked like an angry lil cat too! She was a lot of fun.

Was she more a cat-bug, or a bug-cat? xD

 

[TheWolven]

Definite bug-cat!

 

[Jaunte]

to catch the food lol. Come to think of it, I haven't seen it discussed with all the research I've been doing lately e

I've seen this behavior with nymphs and adults across heterochaeda and phyllocrania paradoxia when it came to various food types: fruit flies, roaches, house flies...
I took it as an aggressive warning behavior to stay away.

 

[hibiscusmile]

She could of not seen it as a fly and was scared, or usually they want a drink when not wanting food, . Cat like, she must sit cleaning herself.