New to Mantids, Need urgent help!

[Tamota]

Hi, 

I'm completely new to praying mantises, but I've always wanted one.

One morning I went outside (Melbourne, Australia here) and looked down and I had almost stepped on this little one! (Photos below) So I popped it in a large container and furiously began researching how to keep it.

The next morning, it lay 2 Oothecas! I know its a momma that isn't long for this world, but I still went out and bought crickets to feed her (it's end of winter now, but there still aren't really any flies or moths to catch). She ate 3 of them so must have been starving. It's been 4 days since then, and now she's not eating. They're at the bottom of the enclosure (pictures below) and she isn't going down to get them. It was lucky that she was already at the bottom the first time.

How do I get her to go down? I tried holding the crickets in front of her, but she was terrified of this thing waving about and wouldn't grab them (hence the 4 at the bottom now). She looks super stressed out and wary of everything, as she hasn't moved from this leaf since yesterday when I first tried feeding her.

Please help!

Thank you~

tl;dr mantis not going down to eat.

P.S. I also need help with confirming its species (Pseudomantis albofimbriata - False Garden Mantis?) and any tips for the Ootheca. Got them on the side of a plastic cup with a ventilated lid and wet paper towel. Going to hatch them inside, release them outside and keep a few.

 

[Aquaticcreature]

Is there any ventilation in the jar? From the pictures it looks like the jar doesn't have any holes. Excessively high humidity with no ventilation can effect mantids. That could be the cause of her not eating. You might try putting mesh over the jar and securing it with a rubber band and leaving the lid off.

There is the other possible that she is just at the end of her life and is not going to eat anymore. Seeing as we don't know when she last molted that is hard to determine. 

Someone with more experience can give you a better idea of what's wrong, but that is what I would try if I were in your shoes. 

 

[Tamota]

There are lots of air holes, but I might change it to a mesh that I have. Thanks.

Yes at some point I have to think it's just the end, but I wanted to make sure that she wasn't suffering.

 

[Aquaticcreature]

Just a quick note about using the mesh and rubberband. When removing the band make sure to roll the rubber band down instead of trying to just pull it off. If the mantis is on the mesh it can snap and cinch around the mantis if you try to just pull the band off. I had a near miss with my orchid mantis once. 

 

[Tamota]

I've put a mesh on, and I think Aquaticcreature was right about the humidity, as the water droplets haven't evaporated since yesterday. 

I tried getting her close to a cricket, but she actually ran away from it. She's still active though, as she was crawling all over my hands, but is preferring to stay way up high right now (picture below).

 

[cat_h]

If she ate well before it might be that she's simply not hungry again just yet

 

[Sticky]

Do you have any houseplants? She may enjoy some out of container time. 

 

[Sticky]

Also, do you have any honey? If so give her some with a toothpick or skewer. Honey is a great teaching tool. It will help her learn you aren't so scary!