Lovable Lido

[Nibor]

Lido made me fall in love with him. I introduced us in the "Introduce Yourself" Forum.

I would sit and look out my kichen window as the seasons changed. I'd smile at my pots full of flowers close to the house. I'd watch the birds eat out of their feeders and the squirrels so unhappy that they could only eat what had fallen out of the feeders. One day I went out to water the plants and noticed some of those horrible little white bugs growing and eating in my plants. I ran and got the bug spray.... and when I got back, before I sprayed, I saw a tiny mantid chowing down on the bugs. I put the spray away.

The plant was full of aphids. It was August in Kentucky.



He loved that plant and hung around on it for months. I checked on him almost every day.

And he pretty much stayed on that plant probably 'cause I didn't spray him or the bad bugs!

He was only about an inch long.



One day I went out there and found this!



Took me a bit to scare that big bad Chinese thing away and off to another yard!

It was not after the aphids! It was after Lido!!!!

It's a bit hard to see Lido, but he's on the left side of the picture with only a tiny tip of his head showing.

End of our first month.....

 

[D_Hemptress]

im glad you saved Lido. hes cute!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Aww that is so cute.

 

[hierodula]

How cool The big bad bully mantis

 

[lancaster1313]

She looks like a Stagmomantis carolina. My first and favorite mantis. <3

 

[ScienceGirl]

A discovery to begin a new friendship!

Lido is very lucky to have someone looking out for him! I also love the way that you keep him. Wild "pet" mantids are the best. It's always so fun to go out and "visit" their world!

I bet you bring him snacks sometimes, right? Have you tried a bit of honey? :tt2:

 

[agent A]

awww that's cute :wub:

he is probably stagmo carolina

 

[Nibor]

Well I was pretty clueless. In the beginning it was a bug! Over time he hooked me and I started researching them. It seemed he was a Carolina mantid. And I did find out about those huge Chinese ones!!!!

But it wasn't clear to me if it was a he or a she. I never did get enough info to be sure. But... it did love living on that plant. Only a few times when I went out there, he wasn't on it and it took me awhile to find him. But, he was a true, true joy.

In doing the research on him, I did find that he'd not live an entire year and that when it got really cold and froze outside, he'd not make it. That was a shock. In November before T'day, I brought him on his plant inside and placed them both in an aquarium with a screen top. That was to keep him in it and to protect him from my cat! She would just sit and stare at him through the glass.

It wasn't long before the aphid's were all gone. I didn't know what to do. Usually, until it gets really really cold, crickets grow in our basement. The house is over 100 years old and well, when we bought it there was a dirt floor. Now it's concrete, but we still get the crickets. I set traps for them and once caught, they were dumped into the aquarium for him to have at will.

Since it wasn't needed anymore, I took the plant out of the aquarium and inserted a wooden branch that he could crawl on. Here's a pic of him on it.

 

[D_Hemptress]

i really enjoy reading your little stories

Well I was pretty clueless. In the beginning it was a bug! Over time he hooked me and I started researching them. It seemed he was a Carolina mantid. And I did find out about those huge Chinese ones!!!!

But it wasn't clear to me if it was a he or a she. I never did get enough info to be sure. But... it did love living on that plant. Only a few times when I went out there, he wasn't on it and it took me awhile to find him. But, he was a true, true joy.

In doing the research on him, I did find that he'd not live an entire year and that when it got really cold and froze outside, he'd not make it. That was a shock. In November before T'day, I brought him on his plant inside and placed them both in an aquarium with a screen top. That was to keep him in it and to protect him from my cat! She would just sit and stare at him through the glass.

It wasn't long before the aphid's were all gone. I didn't know what to do. Usually, until it gets really really cold, crickets grow in our basement. The house is over 100 years old and well, when we bought it there was a dirt floor. Now it's concrete, but we still get the crickets. I set traps for them and once caught, they were dumped into the aquarium for him to have at will.

Since it wasn't needed anymore, I took the plant out of the aquarium and inserted a wooden branch that he could crawl on. Here's a pic of him on it.

 

[Malakyoma]

Thats so cute. He's lucky to have you

 

[grob]

What a great story and a great photo of the larger mantis eyeing the smaller one! Oh, the drama! It looks like a few more seconds and this story may have taken a grim turn!

If you ever make the story into a sort film, the song "Poor Leno" by Royksopp would be perfect in the background.

 

[lancaster1313]

Nice! Your masntis is still young.

Indoors with the right food, and some water (you can use a spray bottle from a dollar store) she can live for a few more months.

 

[sally]

I am glad you brought lido in! Love your story and pictures. Now you can get the beautiful Chinese mantid and bring him in for the winter in another container of course....