L3s just not eating much!

[PaxALotl]

Hi all -

My chinese mantises are about 5 weeks old now. They seem to be healthy, but to me they look just a little thin. I have a hydei culture going and I put 2 or 3 in with them whenever I see that there's nothing in there for them to eat. I have seen them actually eat one maybe every 3 or 4 days. I wonder if they just aren't as hungry as I think, but I keep hearing how ravenous they can be.

I tried putting a very small silkworm in, but they didn't go for it.

They've just molted about 3 days ago, so perhaps they are still resting from that, but they seem to be walking around just fine. 

I have heard to watch the abdomen to gauge how hungry they might be, and they never really get plumped up. Maybe they are too small for that, still.

I'm also thinking it might be time to get them something a bit bigger to eat - those little flies are starting to look a bit small for them and they could use a juicy meal. 

I'm not too worried about it but I'm starting to wonder if a new type of food would be good.

any thoughts much appreciated!

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

You could try hand feeding them too. Thats what I do with my little guy... Along with his own hunting...

 

[PaxALotl]

What do you hand feed them? I i was able to grab a hydei with forceps without squashing it, but the mantises just pulled away from it. They seemed scared of the big forceps coming at them!  

I think these guys could easily handle a 1/4 inch cricket that's easier to handle with the forceps. But, if there are 2 or 3 fruit flies loitering around in a 32 inch cup, shouldn't the mantis grab one as it walks by? They just hang out mostly up top, under the lid. I figure if they are hungry, they'd grab a fruit fly that is less than an inch away!

 

[Synapze]

I think these guys could easily handle a 1/4 inch cricket that's easier to handle with the forceps.

If they can easily handle a 1/4 inch cricket, they're probably losing interest in such small prey. It seems like once a nymph starts eating hydei they begin losing interest in melanogasters and will just swat at them. Just a guess, but perhaps the smaller flies become more difficult to catch as the mantis gets larger. 

 

[River Dane]

L3 does seem a little late to still be feeding Hydei for this species. I’m assuming they’re about the same size as the mantis in this video?

 

[PaxALotl]

L3 does seem a little late to still be feeding Hydei for this species. I’m assuming they’re about the same size as the mantis in this video?

Not quite that big - maybe 80% that size max. Maybe a little less!

Ive got two that size, and one that is about half that size - haven't seen it eat in at least a week, but it still seems OK. Worried about that one!

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

What do you hand feed them? I i was able to grab a hydei with forceps without squashing it, but the mantises just pulled away from it. They seemed scared of the big forceps coming at them!  

Ok so this is what I feed my little guy until he is plump because sometimes he cant grab a flying fruitfly fashmt enough.

Freshly smashed (like right before so guts show and are fresh) fruit fly on a toothpick...

Or a small red runner roach cut in half so guts show... Then poke with a tooth pick and like the fruit flys stick slowly but quickly right at their mantibles. They should start eating.

Mine wasnt interested in cricket guts but was excited about smashed fruitflies... He probly ate 6 or 7...

It is a tedious process!!

The picture is for size reference.

 

[PaxALotl]

I got one to eat a fly- he seemed happy! But they are very scared of the toothpicl. Maybe my hand is too shaky!

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

If you want to try sometimes they like banana...

When he is distracted go right up to his mantibles try not to bring mich attention to the toothpick if you can...that might help too.

 

[PaxALotl]

Well, one of them has taken a few flies and is looking reasonably well fed, although not even as plump as in the above pic. I haven't succeeded in any hand feeding - not even the partially squished silkworm that one of them seemed to taste and not want!

The other once, slightly smaller, took one hydei but now isn't moving much and I wonder if it's gonna molt. So, i'll leave that one alone. 

What do you guys recommend as a next food for these little guys? I have tons of fruit flies, so it's easy enough to put 2 or 3 in their container and they can much as they like. But yea it seems like they could use a nice, juicy meal! 

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

Are they big enough for small blue bottle flies or small red runner roaches? Itsy really loves roaches cut in half or whole and they are relatively easy to catch...

 

[PaxALotl]

Honestly I'm not sure! One is a bit smaller than in the pic above, the other yet smaller but looks like might molt soon. 

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

He might. They molt often when they are young.

They might need bigger prey or might be gonna molt like you said, or maybe need hand fed more (but handfeeding is hard for you...) soo IDK...

Hopefully they will be fine. ? 

 

[PaxALotl]

Ok, the slightly smaller one molted just now. I happened to be right there, and watched it! Now it's slightly bigger than the other one!

So, they are probably both getting too big to bother with fruit flies. I have a light outside my office where tons of moths hang out. I got one that was about the size of a dime, and got it into the cup with one of them. He grabbed it within 5 seconds of it flapping around in there, and seemed pretty happy about it, but then he dropped it and didn't bother to grab it from the substrate.

But, it seems like a nice, juicy moth might be the new preferred meal!

I have easy access to moths but wow it's hard to get them into the cup!! Anyone have a clever trick to get them in??

 

[MantisGirl13]

Cool! If you have a lot of moths near you, set up a big white sheet outside with a light behind it at night. Then pick it up by the wing, right off the sheet, and put it into the mantis cup. It is easiest when you grab them by the wing.

- MantisGirl13

 

[PaxALotl]

Just grab them by the wing? Of course, yes, they are pretty easy to grab! 

Ok, I was fussing with forceps, cups, tried to chill them in the fridge, everything - embarrassingly it never occurred to be to just grab one!

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

Right. Moths are relatively easy to catch. Try small roaches too maybe? If you want.

The other one is bound to molt soon!

 

[MantisGirl13]

 Lol. Yeah, just grab them by the wing!

- MantisGirl13

 

[PaxALotl]

Update- the one is now pigging out on moths and flies! He finally looks a little full!

The other one was molting when I came in this morning. It looks like a successful molt but he's SO skinny now! Alarmingly so. I put a couple of hydei in, hopefully he'll eat something soon.