size of grasshoppers, dragon flies?

[dougmichel]

Hello all, I just recently caught two wild mantises so that my 3 1/2 year old sun can learn about insects and the like, and was wondering about what kinds of food would be best. I have a small green mantis (chinese I think) which is about 1.5 inches in length. I have it in a mini kreature keeper cage with a few sticks and leaves. I have been feeding it small crickets and moths as I can catch them. We have tons of grasshoppers and dragonflies in the back but was wondering how large of those can I get for them to eat? (I caught a dragonfly before for this one when I had it in a 10 gallon terrerium and it looked like it was going to attack it but before it actually caught it the dragonfly got away and eventually died.)

I also have a 2" brown colored mantis that we just caught which actually laid an egg case about 2 days after I caught it. It was originally housed in a 5 gallon terrerium but now is in the small version of the kreature keeper (slightly larger than the other one I have). It gets the same diet right now, but any larger crickets or moths go to this one before the other one.

It would be far easier if I can also catch grasshoppers rather than trying to stir up crickets onto the sidewalks and catching those before they get back into the grass making them hard to find. What is the largest size of grasshoppers or dragonflies I can get for these mantids to eat?

I also have a caterpiller that I found the other day, but it looks from reading other posts that maybe this will be a mess and the mantis may not get sufficient food from it anyway?

Also final question, I know they will not eat wings from moths, but the green mantis seems to be rather clumsy and will end up dropping his prey before finishing and then it will not go get the remains and finish. Also the brown one got spastic last night eating a cricket and just the head was left after she dropped it during her fit.

Thanks!

 

[hibiscusmile]

What you describe is common in a mantis that is thirsty, mist their container with really really warm water right where they are, slowly as not to scare them away. they need to drink everyday, just as we do, once is enough for the day, I mist with about three mist and they readily drink. also, as long as the food is not to big, or dangerous as in brightly colored cattillpillars, or ants, sorry for spelling then it is ok to give to them, also wasps and yellow jackets, only smash the heads before offering to them with tweezers.

 

[dougmichel]

Ok, normally I do mist them and try to once per day but I had probably missed a day. Should I try to get grasshoppers that are smaller in length to be on the safe side then or do they need to be half as long or something like that?

 

[Ntsees]

...Should I try to get grasshoppers that are smaller in length to be on the safe side then or do they need to be half as long or something like that?

Although there are exceptions, that should be the rule when feeding mantids - the prey should be smaller than the mantid. I just go by the rule of the prey not being larger than the mantid's thorax but not smaller than the head.