leaving for a trip, will my mantis be okay without food for 10ish days?

[yaih0550]

im leaving on a trip and cant take my mantis with me. i usually feed him every 3 - 5 days, will he be okay missing a feeding or two? ive never left him for that long before.

edit: i have somebody whos going to water him while im away, but hes not comfortable handling insects.

 

[Synapze]

Species and instar?

 

[Introvertebrate]

I've seen frog folks leave a whole FF culture (with the top off) in the frog tank, while they're away.

 

[yaih0550]

Species and instar?

adult ghost mantis

 

[Synapze]

adult ghost mantis

Since you have someone providing water, I don't think it would be problem for 10 days if the specimen is healthy. Give it a generous feeding the day you leave and you should be all set.

 

[agent A]

if it's a male, he may not wanna eat anyway
my ghosts are the ones who get shafted if i'm low on food and they always end up just fine

 

[ANTdrew]

Another option could be putting a cup with fly pupae in his enclosure for him to catch as they hatch out.

 

[The Wolven]

Another option could be putting a cup with fly pupae in his enclosure for him to catch as they hatch out.

While that could work, I wouldn't want to feed my mantis food that hadn't been gut-loaded. That's about as nutritious as feeding him nothing. Though I suppose it's something compared to literal nothing. .-.

 

[ANTdrew]

While that could work, I wouldn't want to feed my mantis food that hadn't been gut-loaded. That's about as nutritious as feeding him nothing. Though I suppose it's something compared to literal nothing. .-.

I guess one could leave a bit of food for the flies in their as well, but that could lead to other problems.

 

[The Wolven]

I guess one could leave a bit of food for the flies in their as well, but that could lead to other problems.

Mostly the mantis eating the fly before it could bother eating.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Those flies are plenty nutritious. They've been eating for their entire larval life.

 

[agent A]

Those flies are plenty nutritious. They've been eating for their entire larval life.

Tom you know I love you very much but I have a question for you
how energetically costly do you think metamorphosis is? Do you realize emergent flies require food and water within about 12 hours because of how much of their larval nutrients they used up to turn into flies?

 

[Introvertebrate]

Tom you know I love you very much but I have a question for you
how energetically costly do you think metamorphosis is? Do you realize emergent flies require food and water within about 12 hours because of how much of their larval nutrients they used up to turn into flies?

Alright Alex. You've turned me around. I got the impression Wolven was shooting from the hip a little. If you're leaving for a trip and you've got no other option, I figured newly emerged flies are still better than no flies.

 

[agent A]

Alright Alex. You've turned me around. I got the impression Wolven was shooting from the hip a little. If you're leaving for a trip and you've got no other option, I figured newly emerged flies are still better than no flies.

yes, but don't get into a habit of using freshly eclosed flies as a staple!

 

[Rainbow]

What do you gut load your flies with?

 

[agent A]

crested gecko food!

 

[craigbaker]

While that could work, I wouldn't want to feed my mantis food that hadn't been gut-loaded. That's about as nutritious as feeding him nothing. Though I suppose it's something compared to literal nothing. .

 

[craigbaker]

I never gut load flies for mantids. What to you gut load with and why?

 

[The Wolven]

I never gut load flies for mantids. What to you gut load with and why?

I use a mix of crested gecko diet, a nectar mix, and water crystals. Not gut-loading your flies leads to poor nutrition for mantises. You're essentially feeding them an empty shell. The nutrients you give the prey gets passed on the to the predator.

 

[Synapze]

I use homemade fruit fly culture media to give the adult flies some nutrients and water. Is that considered gut loading? I don't know which nutrients mantids (or invertebrates in general) need, but this seems to keep them plump and juicy a little longer. The media contains sugar, brewer's yeast, and potato flakes.