P.wahlbergii question?

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Crackers

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I have had my pseudocreobotra wahlbergii for a while now and has just moulted and has got full grown wings so i am guessing is either sub or full adult. my question is that once they reach this stage is handling them or cleaning them out made any more difficult. are they prone to flying?

cheers, charlie

 
If you see full wings it's an adult. Males start flying about 4 or 5 days after molting(of any species) but aren't very good at it untill they are adults for a few weeks. They don't really fly unless they feel threatened, so make sure he's used to you. I heard from usa mantis male creobroter fly when you approach the cage, not when you handle them daily. I wouldn't worry too much, he probably won't fly a whole lot.

 
ok so handling daily will keep them used to me and just put them in a large container when cleaning?

ok

thanks, if i have any other questions ill let you know.

 
agent A said:
Males start flying about 4 or 5 days after molting(of any species) but aren't very good at it untill they are adults for a few weeks. They don't really fly unless they feel threatened, so make sure he's used to you.
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Most if not all of this is not really true.

Crackers said:
ok so handling daily will keep them used to me and just put them in a large container when cleaning? ok

thanks, if i have any other questions ill let you know.
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No. Handling often is not good for them IMO. Small species tend to be very flighty. Best to just keep him enclosed.

 
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Yeah, my male orchid almost flew out of my window, if you are really tempted to hold them make sure every window is closed.

 
Agreed with Rick cept the whole handling them too much thing. I have mantids that will just walk out of the container when I'm cleaning it then just fly away usually into a mirror...

 
all of my male mantis have flown away as much as possible, i let all my adults walk around my room for exercise and they all fly no matter what, BUT! if your adult is a female she will not be able to fly at all. so be wary of that also.

 
d17oug18 said:
all of my male mantis have flown away as much as possible, i let all my adults walk around my room for exercise and they all fly no matter what, BUT! if your adult is a female she will not be able to fly at all. so be wary of that also.
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not entirely true i had a adult orchid female who flew from my hand onto another cage, it was like 5 feet away. Though i just got her and she needed to be fed so she was lightweight

 
I have had female S.Limbata more or less glide out of my hand onto another platform. i think the female's wings are too small to actually fly.

For the males I have seen them fly a lot. Males will definitely fly out of your hand.

I agree about limited contact with your mantid. I only touch them when it is necessary such as cleaning or picking them up if they go somewhere. I don't just take them out much.

 
a1_collection said:
I have had female S.Limbata more or less glide out of my hand onto another platform. i think the female's wings are too small to actually fly.For the males I have seen them fly a lot. Males will definitely fly out of your hand.

I agree about limited contact with your mantid. I only touch them when it is necessary such as cleaning or picking them up if they go somewhere. I don't just take them out much.
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Stagmomantis females use the wings kind of like parachutes but just enough to slow them down when they jump. Females with full length wings can fly sometimes before they get heavy.Males though will fly and fly well, especially the small species.

Reason I say lots of handling is bad is that when I was a kid I didn't know better I handled excessively and almost always killed them.

 
Check out Rick's sticky on sexing mantids. If you still are having trouble post a pic of the under side of it's abdomin so one of us can sex it for you.

 
you know I don't like being critisized for every opinion I express, it's like I don't mean anything to anybody. From my experience my males haven't started flying for quite a few days after becoming adults and aren't very good at it for a week or 2 and my male creobroter gemmatus barely flies and has been an adult for almost 2 weeks, only really flies if he is tossed up in the air.

 
As far as sexing these, look at the abdomen and the spiny points which embellish it all around. The females "spiny points" and abdomen in general, will protrude and stick out much more on each side under the wings in a more rounded shape (which will become more apparent with maturity). The male's abdomens spiny points may protrude a little; but in general the abdomen will be much more slim and will not stick out near like the females will.

If it has wings... it's adult. ;)

 

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