Maybe a little smarter than you think!

[hibiscusmile]

The other day I was in the Bugatorium feeding my many mantis and when I was all done and cleaning up the leftover flies and all the cricket legs that they readily drop off so I can recatch them, the Idomorphias, were in their house together (4 females) (No Males Allowed) and I just happened to glance at them before leaving the room with garbage bag in hand, (yes a long story, get yourself a coffee and relax), when I noticed that all four of them were on top of each other on the sponge in the feeding hole. I was so concerned because I realized I had not fed and watered them, that I did not stop

to get my camera, (I know macro junkie, you wouldn't be able to see the pic anyways) that I grabbed some flies and went to feeding and watering them. Now have any of you noticed the mantis waiting at their feeding stations before? I thought this just can't be, but I am noticing more and more, they wait there for me and usually after eating go about their business. I know you guys won't believe this, but is true. I did take a pic of two of them the next day. but I can't find it! :huh:

 

[bugzilla]

I'd love to see some proper research into mantid intelligence. I'm with you in that I think these little guys are pretty smart. There's been loads of research on marine invert intelligence, mantis shrimp, octopus, squid etc have all been found to e problem solvers capable of working out puzzles to get food B)

Nature rocks

 

[OGIGA]

Yeah, some mantises are smart, but I think mine are dumb. I dunno. Rick's going to come say that they're stupid. Oh well.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I don't doubt it. I think they are smarter than people often give them credit for. Mine don't have feeding stations in their cages so I've never seen a similar behavior, but this makes me want to do some tests.

For some reason now all I can picture is little mantises sitting at their feeding stations with their claws folded in ardent prayer as they worship and try summon the great two legged goddess to bequeath their hungry bellies with food.

 

[Birdfly]

I read some where, along time ago that a Mantis religiosa was reported to have regularily taken up station out side a bee hive and stuffed its self full everytime it needed.

Pure accident or learned ???

If portia the jumping spider can solve small problems i dont see why a mantis cant.

http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/portia.htm

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1640513/posts

But then again Portia are not your average spider

 

[The_Asa]

For insects, the little guys are pretty bright.

 

[ABbuggin]

For insects, the little guys are pretty bright.

I'll agree with that.

 

[Rick]

Can't say I have ever seen that but will try to look for it.

 

[Christian]

Sincerely, I think this is pure coincidence. I also think that mantids have some sort of rudementary intelligence, but we should be careful with interpretations. A mantis can decide to leave a wrong place or to approach a better one when there is more invertebrate action. That's why we found them on flowers, at bee hives, on faeces or even maybe at the blacklight (although I think in this particular case they were first attracted by the light and decided then to use the new food source). They won't certainly sit on the sponge to show you "hey, you forgot me" or because it's the time of the day when flies are inserted. In large cages there may be an acculumation at the place where most flies hover around, but in smaller terraria there is certainly not possible for them to decide which corner is better. I also observed that sponge thing and it simply is because they just like to clinge on it. If the top of the cage is of a somewhat suboptimal material, they prefer the sponge over it.

 

[The_Asa]

She said that they all were on top of each other on the sponge. I doubt that they usually do that. I'm just gonna guess that they were hungry, that's where the food drops, that's where they go. I don't think that requires too much intelligence.

 

[Christian]

I often saw them clinge on each other. This is not unusual, particularly in Empusids.

Mantids cannot know "where the food drops in" in a space about the size of a terrarium, as the flies fly through all the space avilable once they are in. I often saw this behavior, however, when there were some problems with the stuff of which the top of the cage is made. The problem with intelligence in animals is that it is often either over- or underestimated but rarely described properly.

 

[collinchang635]

I think they are really smart for insects. My mantids too go to a certain spot in their cage when their hungry. After I water and feed them they go under a leave and starts resting. Sometimes they jump around after eating if their still hungry

 

[The_Asa]

I don't know, Christian. I've seen my mantids go to different spots in different cages where food dropped out of varying places. It appeared that when they were hungry, they went to the spot where the food dropped from. As to the flies going all over the place, I usually partially freeze my flies so they are stationary.

Of course, there's just no true way to gauge that, and all your points are valid, so...

 

[Christian]

Well, frozen flies are usually rather stationary... :lol:

 

[The_Asa]

I'm good at pointing out the obvious B)

 

[ExoticOddities]

I have many wild-caught wolf spiders that (soon after capture) used to scramble about when I'd open the lid ... but that eventually "learned" there was nothing to fear when this happened, and soon came to realize that the opening of the lid meant being fed.

It is common knowledge that king cobras have powers of recognition. Any long-term owner of a king cobra will tell you that they learn to recognize their owner. These cobras will just lay around when the owner comes into the snake room, and they too will be ready for food when the cage opens ... but if a stranger comes into that same room, the cobras will immediately get agitated and be ready to strike. In short, the cobras learn to accept the presence of the owner in their general vicinity, but will not accept the presence of a stranger, thus proving their ability to distinguish the differences in people. Same as a dog will let you walk into your home and around your home, but not a stranger, as they can recognize the difference also.

It is entirely possible that mantids likewise have rudimentary powers of recognition also and discover where the "food source" is. That is how they survive. Same as they are able to recognize a member of its own kind, and of the opposite sex, in order to reproduce and survive as a species.

.

 

[mrblue]

Same as they are able to recognize a member of its own kind, and of the opposite sex, in order to reproduce and survive as a species.

this is instinct, not cognition or intelligence.

 

[ExoticOddities]

Mr. Blue, if you could go ahead and explain, exactly, what "instinct" is ... and then if you could clearly and unambiguously show how cognition or recognition play no part in the exercise of "instinct" ... I would be most grateful for the elevation in my thinking.

.

 

[idolomantis]

i tried to put one in front of a mirror from the seven, 6 didnt respond but onlu looked at it , the other turned in defence pose.

the other is when it was feeding time( i always feed on the same time) they were all lid of there enclosures.

so maybe just nothing but maybe they are inteligent tho, i think they are.