Silkworms?

[Andrew]

I've started culturing these for my reptiles, but I wonder how they would do as feeders for mantids(harmful at all)? I put one in with my unicorns and it was snatched up in no time.

Experience anyone?

 

[hibiscusmile]

Silkworms are fine for them

 

[Andrew]

Ok, good to hear. I wasn't sure if maybe the artificial diet or mulberry in general would effect them.

The oxypilus seem to like it.

The second that silkworm splits open green goo goes everywhere. :lol: I think the mantids like it a lot.

 

[BugFan]

You say you have been culturing them? like breeding them or buying them in a jar and feeding them to your mantids? if you do actually breed them could you tell me how? :huh:

 

[asdsdf]

I used to keep them as pets when I was little, and like them for a long time. (Praying mantises replaced them.)

Oh well... xD You have to manually feed these? They aren't even close to the most active feeder food.

 

[Mantida]

I raised them, but they ate and pooped so much frass that I got tired of them and they eventually just died since I didn't get them enough food fast enough. What I hate about feeding them to mantids is that they're basically skin surrounding a whole bunch of mulberry. :blink:

 

[macro junkie]

I raised them, but they ate and pooped so much frass that I got tired of them and they eventually just died since I didn't get them enough food fast enough. What I hate about feeding them to mantids is that they're basically skin surrounding a whole bunch of mulberry. :blink:

i bet there messy

 

[nympho]

i bet there messy

i tried feeding them caterpillers, they dont like em much IMO. wouldnt it be more appropriate to feed matids the adult moths. trouble is they'd be quite seasonal ie you'd rear a batch which would take a few months, which would spin cocoons, wait for emergence which would be all at the same time then you'd have to wait ages to breed more. ive reared a few types of moth, some of which are spectacular and worth breeding for their own sake. i wouldnt bother with flightless silkmoth (who's has a mulbery tree handy anyway) the chinese oak silkmoth is very easy to breed, grows huge (moth 16cm wingspan and larvae is 10cm), it is quite tolerant of poor conditions and disease and eats oak, apple and other tree leaves which are easy to get. would make a great feeder for the biggest mantids and would put up quite a fight. i reared some last year, i have about 40 cocoons waiting to emerge. i let one go in the evening last summer, it flew around above the garden like a bat for 10 minutes which was unforgettable (too big for the real bats but they tried to catch it). also have american moon moth, tree of heaven moth, eyed hawk moth, lime hawk moth, privet hawk moth and hickory horned devil moth pupae which will hatch soon hopefully