Question about cannibalism

[xenuwantsyou]

At what point do the little guys start playing natural selection with each other. Or for that matter when do they start getting an appetite.

 

[Rick]

Day or two after the are born is usually when they start eating. In my experience they sometimes don't start eating each other until later.

 

[Ian]

I usually find it starts happening after their first shed. This was the case with the large amount of Tenodera (American strain) I hatched out.

 

[yen_saw]

Based on my past experience, most cannibalism happens right after the first meal of fruit flies (which is usually 2 days after hatching). Before that, they are skittish and most of them die due to starvation rather then cannibalism if i never (or forgot to) feed them.

 

[infinity]

Yeah, Yen's right- damn mantids!!! - You leave them together hoping it'll be natural selection n all and you go in one morning to find they've all died of starvation