Problems feeding male Ghost

[cloud jaguar]

My wife's Ghost mantids are pretty cool. Two of three are adults (1 male and 1 female). The male has been an adult for a couple of weeks and has NOT really been into eating at all.

Yesterday we tried to force feed him with a mangled cricket. He at first grabbed it and started eating it then swatted it away. Then he started acting all weak and feeble like and started worrying us that he was really sick or injured - especially since he was just holding onto his branch with 1 leg and dangling all the others. Also his crown is droopy and flexible.

Today I again tried to force feed him a tiny cricket and he started eating it then just swatted it away. We are pretty sure that his acting feeble and sick-like yesterday may just have been his dead leaf camo mojo since he appears to be fine today.

I know ghosts are not supposed to eat much as adults but this really seems like a long time for this male ghost since he has bee an adult for about 2 weeks during which time he has just sipped on three crickets for a while then flicked them away or swatted them away.

We don't want this ghost mantis to become a real ghost.

Any suggestions?

 

[Rick]

That is what adult male mantids do. Keep offering him food the natural way and he will eat when he needs to.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Try him on flies, Arkanis. It's time you two went back to using them again! I've had two male ghosts who, if startled, would just "fall down dead!" It's kinds scary the first time that it happens!

Maybe when he starts mating, he'll get his appetite back!

 

[Rick]

A fly may be just the size for the finicky male appetite. Now that he is adult he has one purpose in life and it doesn't involve much eating.

 

[cloud jaguar]

Oh no - the male died today. I guess he was not just playing possum after all. Today I noticed when I returned home from work that he was hanging from one leg and three limp legs just dangling. Then he was just dropped onto the ground limp and dead. This is very sad since he was just at the right age to mate and a female would have been ready next week. Well now my wife just has two females which sucks. In hopes of resurrecting him, I placed him in the females enclosure hoping that her pheromones would bring him back to life or something. No such luck so far. Although the female obligingly devoured the 2 young crickets that I dumped from his cage into hers.

The females seem as though they are doing just fine. One is Russet and one is Green. Hopefully they will not die too. What is strange is that the male seemed so robust and hungry until he became an adult. Despite molting perfectly he just was weak or something I guess.

Anyways, too bad for Diablo.

 

[Katnapper]

Awww... I'm sorry about Diablo, Arkanis. Don't know what else to say.

 

[wuwu]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Rick]

Ok sorry to hear but that is how males eat in my experience so if it was me I wouldn't say that was the issue.