The mystery of the disappearing flies...

[Notanothernickname]

I have a 2nd instar one inch long peacock mantis, and having had no luck feeding crickets have turned to feeding it flies from the garden, which it seems interested in.

I'll put in a fly each day and each one seems to disappear, but the mantis doesn't seem to get any fatter.

I've checked the substrate, but there's nothign on the surface, and I can't imagine the fly would dig, or the mantis would bury its quarry.

I understand that a mantis must shed its skin to grow, but does the abdomen (I know it's called that in other insect, I mean the bit at the end) doesn't get any bigger, surely eating something which is around 1/4 to 1/5 its size ought to making it a little bigger?

Thanks in advance,

Will

 

[MantidLord]

I have a 2nd instar one inch long peacock mantis, and having had no luck feeding crickets have turned to feeding it flies from the garden, which it seems interested in.I'll put in a fly each day and each one seems to disappear, but the mantis doesn't seem to get any fatter.

I've checked the substrate, but there's nothign on the surface, and I can't imagine the fly would dig, or the mantis would bury its quarry.

I understand that a mantis must shed its skin to grow, but does the abdomen (I know it's called that in other insect, I mean the bit at the end) doesn't get any bigger, surely eating something which is around 1/4 to 1/5 its size ought to making it a little bigger?

Thanks in advance,

Will

I know what you mean. The mantis may just have a fast metabolism. I had the same thing with my I. oratoria female. Either that or the flies escaped.

 

[Rick]

One fly a day? You won't even see much of a difference. Throw several in there and you will see her get fatter. Welcome to the site.