My Bad!!! ....newbie error.......asking for help....

[DrM]

Okay....complete newbie here to the Mantid-world. We received an African female a couple weeks ago....and all was going well as we adjusted to eachother. She had a great appetite....was active.....and then created a beautiful bright green egg casing --attaching it to the top of her condo.

Of course ---we were thrilled and were looking forward to the new experience of raising the hatchlings.........until today........

Those ^%$^#^^%*&(* crickets decided to take revenge upon Princess Fanny after she devoured one of their community members!!!!

I feel terrible !! What should we have done to avoid that?

Thanx for any advice .........DrM.

 

[Rick]

The crickets ate the mantis? You know I have heard of that but I just can't see it happening. Unless you had a lot of crickets in there with her.

 

[Rick]

I put one in at a time and that is it unless the mantis should eat more. If they are not eaten soon then they come out until next time unless it's an adult mantis who won't be shedding. But if a shed is near I don't even bother to put any in. Be careful with them.

 

[DrM]

I guess I was just so upset that I wasnt clear in my note.......the crickets ate her egg sac. Princess Fanny is fine........actually shes quite the voracious eater of crickets........she was boxing one and eating another just before they cannibalized the eggsac.......

sorry 'bout the miscommunication.......DrM

 

[Rick]

Yeah they will eat an ooth. They like to eat the shed skins of mantids too.

 

[shadownet]

She might lay another.My karate instructors mantis layed 4 :shock:

 

[Sheldon Johnson]

Hey DrM

If this is your first mantis, how did you expect the ooth to hatch anyway?