Two at once

[Termite48]

A few weeks ago I was reading someone's experience with one of his mantids being a super aggressive eater. I think that the member was being silly about the mantid's taking down two flies at once with one in each claw. Well today it happened in my small sized net cage. I had placed four newly arrived Creobroter pictipennis adult females in the cage and let in about one fly each for the four ladies. The hungriest of them caught her fly and was munching on it and her sister took a BB for herself. Then before the other two could catch a fly, it happened. A BB got to curious as to what was going on to its buddy, the BB being eaten, it got too close to view. The female, half through eating the first BB caught, snagged another BB it it's free raptoral claw. Then finishing the first BB, embarked on the second. That is really two-fisting it. Thanks Joeho for some vicious mantids.

 

[Rick]

That is not uncommon behavior.

 

[Termite48]

Good to know this is not uncommon, because I want normally behaving mantids. In my brief experience with Mantids, I had not seen this eating behavior. Thanks, Rick! I wonder is she is a lefty, a righty, or like I am, ambidextrous (not great with either hand).

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I've seen this happen no less than 100 times, and that's only when I'm watching! Gongy and Idolo's would catch three if they only had a 3rd raptor claw, very common but still cool to see.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I get so tickled when they do that! sometimes u can see one in the mouth and one in each hand! :lol: Those are my little piggies!

 

[Mr.Mantid]

I freaked out the first time I seen that happen. Have you ever seen 3 at a time? One in each claw and one in its jaws, that was pretty awesome too.

 

[animalexplorer]

Just saw it happen yesterday. I had a shield catch one and then immediately scurried on over to another one and snagged it with it's other raptorial claw of death.

 

[patrickfraser]

I freaked out the first time I seen that happen. Have you ever seen 3 at a time? One in each claw and one in its jaws, that was pretty awesome too.

Can I get a 4 at once?

 

[crucis]

I'm lucky to have seen three at once too! Really depends on the 'personality' of the mantis i think, some will completely ignore other potential prey items once they've caught something, some just can't strike at something else without dropping what they're holding, others are just pure face-stuffing skill

 

[kmsgameboy]

Yeah Ive seen some of my chinese catch and eat two grasshoppers at once. What I really want to see is a mantis with prey between all three pairs of legs and one in its maw.

 

[tszabo86]

My L1 nymphs were doing that yesterday with Hydei flies... Although most of them were unsuccessful, one or two did get 1 fly in each hand. It was kinda funny to watch

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Can I get a 4 at once?

I've seen some try it, though that tends to result in them dropping something to try again at a fresh one. Greedy little buggars don't know when to stop. =p

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

My friends will be eating a BB and see a live one near it and it just drops its food and goes after the live one, i saw it happen three times in a once. He is convinced he has the stupidest mantis in the world. Does anyone think there mantis beats it in stupidity/silliness?

 

[d17oug18]

I have one now, Popa Spucra Subault male, that tries his damnest to climb the wall of the cup! he will try for hours even though there are stick next to him LOL. I dont know why he doesnt eat more with all that arm workout! =P There beat it ^_^

 

[patrickfraser]

One live food item at a time. No seconds until the first course is finished. Wasteful little buggers. I guess they just have to have the freshest available.

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

Ahh man yours wins in the stupid contest.