mealworm beetles

[beckyl92]

are they okay to feed to my mantids?

 

[bassist]

They aren't the choice food but if the mantis can get to the underside they'll eat it I've used them in the past a few times.

 

[PhilinYuma]

They aren't the choice food but if the mantis can get to the underside they'll eat it I've used them in the past a few times.

Yeah, I used to keep a culture of them (easiest insect in the world to raise!), but I never had a mantis who was hungry enough to eat an adult. They are more likely to eat the larvae, and it might serve as an intermediate food between ffs and pinheads (micro crix in other lands) or house flies at a pinch, but they seem to be more bother than they are worth unless you have run out of conventional foods. I think that Zephyr's phorids or peacock flies (Tephritidae, in case you want to look 'em up) would be a better choice.

 

[hibiscusmile]

my girls eat all stages of the mealworm, they hungry ladies!

 

[PhilinYuma]

+1!

 

[beckyl92]

i bought like 100g of meal worms and they all refuse to eat them haha so im hoping that when they're beetles they'll change their mind.

god they smell so bad.. im tempted to just throw them out.

 

[Katnapper]

i bought like 100g of meal worms and they all refuse to eat them haha so im hoping that when they're beetles they'll change their mind.god they smell so bad.. im tempted to just throw them out.

I think they would take to the grubs before the adult beetles... but I really don't know as I haven't tried the beetles.

Try cutting the mealworms in half or thirds and hand feeding (with a long needle, tweezers, or forceps). Get some of the goo on their mouth so they know it's food, and they might take them. It seems like some of mine are scared of them whole and wriggling, lol. It's strange, because you'd think the movement would make them more interested, not less. But my Stagmomantis carolinas last year were absolutely terrified of mealworms!

And I'd never seen a threat display by an adult Phyllovates chlorophaea until I tried to feed one a mealworm.

 

[Rick]

Of course. Why wouldn't they be? If a mantis should not eat a certain insect it will just drop it.

 

[Orin]

Mealworms will work great for Hierodula, Sphodromantis, Parasphendale and other good feeders but wouldn't be overly useful for wimpy feeders. The beetles have thicker shells than the mealworms.