Science Fair Experiment
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Mantis Lady
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hysteresis
Well-known member
Are their brains wired for visual pattern recognition? Can they even see like that?
Maybe. I had a thought a couple months ago. If the diematic displays they display are intended to intimidate, then are they themselves able to decode a threat like that? Do they differentiate between threats? If so, maybe they can quantify in some sense.
Maybe honey as a reward.
Maybe. I had a thought a couple months ago. If the diematic displays they display are intended to intimidate, then are they themselves able to decode a threat like that? Do they differentiate between threats? If so, maybe they can quantify in some sense.
Maybe honey as a reward.
Honey or bites of food. It's got to be something enticing enough that the mantid seeks out more, but not enough that it becomes satisfied and loses interest. Then you can repeat the process multiple times so the mantid can hopefully learn new behavior.
@hysteresis it would be interesting to test different patterns and colors too. Like you said paint a threatening looking pattern on a flash card. Use reds and yellows. And then a calming pattern with lots of green.
Do mantids display for each other if they're having some kind of territorial showdown?
@hysteresis it would be interesting to test different patterns and colors too. Like you said paint a threatening looking pattern on a flash card. Use reds and yellows. And then a calming pattern with lots of green.
Do mantids display for each other if they're having some kind of territorial showdown?
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
Lots of good suggestions here. Due to your timeline it looks like you will be limited to behavioral mantis experiments. If I remember my science fair days, they care much more about you setting up a proper experiment, not having interesting results. Unfortunately that is in contrast to what most people want to do, learn something interesting, even if not confirmed entirely scientifically. If you are trying to win, make sure that your tests are well controlled.
Behavioral experiments are a little hard because it is difficult to keep all of your constant factors.
I know your interest is primarily in mantises, but maybe look into an experiment with your feeder insects. Could measure how different fruit fly media impacts the yields of the culture. Start by putting maybe 10 flies with a measured amount of excelsior and a measured amount of food. Let the cultures run a few weeks, then put them in the freezer to kill off the culture and allow you to better count the number of adults. See which made more adults in the second or third generation and chart it as your results. Fruit flies are very interesting subjects since their lifecycle is so short. This might have the side-effect of impacting how you keep feeder cultures moving forward. You could test several of the most common recipes. Obviously this test would not give you results about the longevity of the culture (which is more important to some people), but it would be interesting nonetheless. One of the weaknesses in the experiment is knowing whether you have the same gender distribution. I think melanogaster are dimorphic, but you wouldn't be able to effectively sort out gender to start your test.
Best of luck!
Behavioral experiments are a little hard because it is difficult to keep all of your constant factors.
I know your interest is primarily in mantises, but maybe look into an experiment with your feeder insects. Could measure how different fruit fly media impacts the yields of the culture. Start by putting maybe 10 flies with a measured amount of excelsior and a measured amount of food. Let the cultures run a few weeks, then put them in the freezer to kill off the culture and allow you to better count the number of adults. See which made more adults in the second or third generation and chart it as your results. Fruit flies are very interesting subjects since their lifecycle is so short. This might have the side-effect of impacting how you keep feeder cultures moving forward. You could test several of the most common recipes. Obviously this test would not give you results about the longevity of the culture (which is more important to some people), but it would be interesting nonetheless. One of the weaknesses in the experiment is knowing whether you have the same gender distribution. I think melanogaster are dimorphic, but you wouldn't be able to effectively sort out gender to start your test.
Best of luck!
hysteresis
Well-known member
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
@hysteresis Thank you! This sounds like the perfect thing for my experiment! Good find!!!!
Thank you!!!!!
- MantisGirl13
Thank you!!!!!
- MantisGirl13
hysteresis
Well-known member
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MantisGirl13
Well-known member
Thanks!
I am not sure if I would have found that myself though!
This sounds perfect because it is simple, easy to set up as an experiment, and involves mantids!
- MantisGirl13
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hysteresis
Well-known member
Cool! 
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
Yes! Now, what species do I try it with? I am thinking several different species and compare them? Maybe orchids, budwings, ghosts, and G. Asians?Cool!
- MantisGirl13
hysteresis
Well-known member
Wow. This Maldonado guy goes deep down the rabbit hole...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191079800116
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191079800116
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
@MantisGirl13 that would be a great idea to compare different species. It would add a new element to the original experiment.
@hysteresis another great article. That's interesting that discontinuous training (breaks between sessions) is more effective than continuous.
I'm still really curious the extent of mantis intelligence. You've said before your mantids reach up for you when it's feeding time. As you sure it's because they are wanting food or are they just trying to hitch a ride out of their enclosure? Mine reaches for me when it wants to get up high somewhere.
@hysteresis another great article. That's interesting that discontinuous training (breaks between sessions) is more effective than continuous.
I'm still really curious the extent of mantis intelligence. You've said before your mantids reach up for you when it's feeding time. As you sure it's because they are wanting food or are they just trying to hitch a ride out of their enclosure? Mine reaches for me when it wants to get up high somewhere.
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
I think we all are interested in mantis intelligence and many people, hobbyists and scientists alike are conducting experiments to figure out just how smart they are!
I think that when they reach up it is for a ride out of the enclosure, but I have had several (spiny flowers) reach up for food!
- MantisGirl13
hysteresis
Well-known member
But yeah. So maybe they initially reach to climb up on you. Then you don't offer a hand or perch for them to reach for.
Do they continue to reach in anticipation?
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Do they continue to reach in anticipation?
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MantisGirl13
Well-known member
I'm curious about their vision. It seems primarily tuned to spot movement. Sometimes when I'm watching her climb in her plant she feels around quite a bit before she finds a good hand hold. Sometimes feeling in empty air and it makes me wonder why she doesn't see where the branch is and reach straight for it. Almost like she moves like a blind person until she sees food.
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