Previous Brunner's stick mantis problem

[Mantis Man13]

I had an egg case full of Brunner's two years ago, yet when I tried to feed them they wouldn't eat fruit flies! They died. Then I got a few more, one of them finally eating! I found tiny crickets in my yard to feed her, since I didn't have anymore fruit flies, and it kept on living. Two weeks later she had a piece of feces stuck to the end of the abdomen, so I took the feces off. The next day I found her dead on the floor with another piece of feces stuck to her abdomen. What caused her death? I had her when I was more inexperienced, and so I kept her in one of these lunch meat containers http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410JOnOlSNL._SS280_.jpg that I emptied and washed, took the label off, poked holes into, put sticks for her to hang on, and a piece of Scott's towel paper on the bottom. Do you think there was not enough ventilation? I only put a hundred needle point sized holes on the top, after all. Please tell me what I did wrong.

 

[psyconiko]

Hard to say what caused its death.Brunnerias are not that easy to keep and are known for being fragile at young instars.

It is a bit of a challenge to be successfull with only one nymph left.Try again with a more ventilated terra(exoterra for example).

 

[Mantis Man13]

I know that now Nikkko, I keep my mantises in a ten gallon critter cage now. It has plenty of ventilation on top. I did not keep my mantises in the cage I have now, as I was inexperienced 2 years ago.

 

[Mantis Man13]

Anyone else have suggestions why she died? I want more info for future references.

 

[Precarious]

I've bred 3 or 4 generations of Brunners so far and I can say they can be challenging if you don't give them the proper habitat.

I can't say why yours died. Sometime young nymphs just drop off for no apparent reason. I've never had a problem getting them to eat, though. No idea why you had that issue unless you were feeding them the larger Hydei when they were too young.

Could have been wild crickets that killed her. I have heard they carry a stomach parasite that can kill mantids. That's why some people even avoid captive bred crickets. I can't give you any scientific proof of that but I err on the side of caution.

Some Brunner links for you:

Brunneria borealis - The White Lady
Brunneria borealis L1 & hatch
Brunneria borealis' cute little red wings
Brunneria borealis L4 (Video)
Brunneria borealis (2 videos)

 

[TheOtherSpecies]

I use a small drill bit on my dremel to make holes for ventilation on the top and sides of the enclosure to keep a consistent air flow in the habitat... I would try that next time instead of pin holes!