Micro Mantis Eats! Yersiniops sphodronica L1 (video)

[Precarious]

Tiny Arizona Grasshopper Mantis needs prey smaller than a fruit fly. This one feeds on springtails.

Soundtrack by Precarious

You can also spot mites on the mantis (one on the eye, one above the mouth, another on his claw). You'd think the mantis would eat the mites but they just ignore them as they help keep the mantis clean. Anyone that thinks they don't have mites take note: it is impossible to see these with the naked eye. Everybody has mites. You only notice them when they overpopulate or get really large. Luckily the only time they are an issue is when they compete with your fruit fly culture for resources.

 

[Mvalenz]

Such a cute little fella. Never thought of mites as being beneficial. Good to know.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Weird, I just saw a video just like this on youtube? and thanks man now my eye's are itching(creepy crawlies!)

 

[mkayum]

Such a cute little fella. Never thought of mites as being beneficial. Good to know.

Wow! I didn't know that! I bought a fruit fly culture from a pet store. But it was infested with millions of mites and it was an older culture. So I returned it back and got a refund.

That's interesting.

Precarious

Do you keep these so mirco mantis in deli cup or do you have to house them in smaller deli cups?

A very cute mantis, indeed.

 

[Chivalry]

I love it. It kind of amazes me that certain... I dunno what to call it, mannerisms, behaviors, seem consistent across species. This one's head seems too big for her.

 

[Precarious]

Wow! I didn't know that! I bought a fruit fly culture from a pet store. But it was infested with millions of mites and it was an older culture. So I returned it back and got a refund.

...

Do you keep these so mirco mantis in deli cup or do you have to house them in smaller deli cups?

I keep this species communally in an 80 oz cup. Since they require such small prey and springtails need very high humidity I keep them with wild collected moss over soil. That's why the mites are present. It's more humidity than they need, which encourages mites, but necessary.

Like I said, when in a FF culture they compete with the larva for resources so that's a bad situation. You don't want them swarming in your mantis enclosures either, but all you have to do is keep it clean and remove any leftover food.

I've seen mites even on wild mantids. There were at least 5 on the face of this Chinese girl in my back yard.

I see mites everywhere shooting macro so I know they are anywhere there is moisture and food. Most of the time you can't even see them without magnification. I used to be very concerned when I'd spot them on my pets but after much observation I've come to the conclusion they are beneficial. The mantids always completely ignore them and they tend to hang around the mouth and raptors as if they scavenge leftover food. Kind of like birds on a rhino picking off bugs or the small fish that hang onto larger fish. I've never seen them damage a mantis. I'd imagine they would pick at an open wound which may not be a good thing but mantids tend to their wounds pretty well.

 

[twolfe]

Very cute little mantis and a great video!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I'm still not convinced that isn't just a tiny speck of dust that happens to look like a mantis. :tt2:

Great video as always.

 

[hibiscusmile]

now were all itching, u da man!

 

[mkayum]

I keep this species communally in an 80 oz cup. Since they require such small prey and springtails need very high humidity I keep them with wild collected moss over soil. That's why the mites are present. It's more humidity than they need, which encourages mites, but necessary.

Like I said, when in a FF culture they compete with the larva for resources so that's a bad situation. You don't want them swarming in your mantis enclosures either, but all you have to do is keep it clean and remove any leftover food.

I've seen mites even on wild mantids. There were at least 5 on the face of this Chinese girl in my back yard.

I see mites everywhere shooting macro so I know they are anywhere there is moisture and food. Most of the time you can't even see them without magnification. I used to be very concerned when I'd spot them on my pets but after much observation I've come to the conclusion they are beneficial. The mantids always completely ignore them and they tend to hang around the mouth and raptors as if they scavenge leftover food. Kind of like birds on a rhino picking off bugs or the small fish that hang onto larger fish. I've never seen them damage a mantis. I'd imagine they would pick at an open wound which may not be a good thing but mantids tend to their wounds pretty well.

Quite information!

I had these mites crawling over my mantids deli cups. I had to clean them all. But I get squeamish sometimes when seeing these tiny mites. I clean all of my nymphs cups one or two times a week. Is that good ?

What a pretty chinese mantid! I can see one on chinese mantid's mandibles. So cool but sometime it gets gross when thought that they'd crawl on my skin.

 

[agent A]

So cute!! I gotta get some of those

I noticed some mites on its claws but when it cleaned them it ate the mites off B)

 

[Precarious]

I had these mites crawling over my mantids deli cups. I had to clean them all. But I get squeamish sometimes when seeing these tiny mites. I clean all of my nymphs cups one or two times a week. Is that good ?

That's definitely a situation you want to avoid. I've never had an infestation but friends tell me just how bad they can get. It usually involves a potted plant or damp moss where they can reproduce en mass and out of site.

If you ever see too many on your mantis put it in a fresh, dry container and don't mist for at least a few days. Mites need good humidity. They dry out and die without it. That's why you mainly see them swarm on very moist materials.

Cleaning once a week is great. If you keep that up you'll do fine.

If you view the Chinese mantis at full size you'll see there are quite a few mites on her face.

I noticed some mites on its claws but when it cleaned them it ate the mites off B)

Nope. The mites move around from place to place, that's all. This clip is compressed from about 15 minutes worth of footage so the edits may make it seem some of the mites just disappear. I have never witnessed any mantis eating one. They completely ignore them.

I'm not sure this species is worth keeping except to document. It is very difficult to keep them fed and you can barely see any detail with the naked eye. I love them but they may be of limited value to anyone else. I guess adults are nearly an inch so we'll see how exciting they are then.

 

[agent A]

I'm not sure this species is worth keeping except to document. It is very difficult to keep them fed and you can barely see any detail with the naked eye. I love them but they may be of limited value to anyone else. I guess adults are nearly an inch so we'll see how exciting they are then.

i think they r adorable

i'd like to obtain a couple some day B)

 

[Precarious]

i think they r adorable

i'd like to obtain a couple some day B)

They definitely are adorable. Some of the cutest I've seen. If I get more than I need I'll post them for sale. As it stands I don't have any at even L2 yet. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[agent A]

ok lol

 

[Idolofreak]

Can't get over how small these guys are! :blink: Awesome video as always.