Very small Chinese...?

[Peter Clausen]

If it was wild caught as an adult, chances are it was already fertilized.

 

[Ntsees]

Hey, Ntsees...You said you raise this species - can they be kept communally...? Seems unlikely...

Mark

Sometimes yes and mostly no. If you keep them together in the first few instars, some will eat each other. In mid to higher level instars, they tend to eat the smaller siblings that are lagging behind or those that have just molted (soft and delicious). Mantids of the same size will tend to not bother each other as well as those that are bulging fat. Those that have just molted to the adult stage will all live together peacefully until egg development. After that point, they shouldn't be put together (especially after one has just laid an ooth). To be on the safe side, separate them whenever you feel like it or make sure every single one is full to reduce cannibalism. Don't wait too long otherwise you'll end up like me and get 1 male and 8 females (it was partly due to my fault because I couldn't feed them as much as I should - not enough time). When I'm able to tell the males from females, I usually start separating the ones that I want to make sure that I have at least a pair when they all reach adulthood.

Just to let you know, this is from just my experience and others may differ.

 

[sporeworld]

Makes perfect sense.

I tend to hand-feed all my bigger babbies, anyway (except when I had 120 adult Chinese - holy ######!). So if I DO keep these guys successfully, I'll experiment with the communal thing and just take out the laggers and runts.

Thanks!

Mark

 

[MantidLord]

Sometimes yes and mostly no. If you keep them together in the first few instars, some will eat each other. In mid to higher level instars, they tend to eat the smaller siblings that are lagging behind or those that have just molted (soft and delicious). Mantids of the same size will tend to not bother each other as well as those that are bulging fat. Those that have just molted to the adult stage will all live together peacefully until egg development. After that point, they shouldn't be put together (especially after one has just laid an ooth). To be on the safe side, separate them whenever you feel like it or make sure every single one is full to reduce cannibalism. Don't wait too long otherwise you'll end up like me and get 1 male and 8 females (it was partly due to my fault because I couldn't feed them as much as I should - not enough time). When I'm able to tell the males from females, I usually start separating the ones that I want to make sure that I have at least a pair when they all reach adulthood.Just to let you know, this is from just my experience and others may differ.

I pretty much agree. I keep my hatchlings together until about L3 or L4. Then I separate them for good. Though I have kept up to five adult females together and had them laying ooths until they'd died of old age. Not saying to put them together, but it is possible. The adult males however, I've never experienced cannibalism between them. In my experience, they're less cannibalistic than M. religiosa.

@Sporeworld: even mantids of the same size can and often will fall prey to their "peers". Just be careful.

 

[Ntsees]

Though I have kept up to five adult females together and had them laying ooths until they'd died of old age....

Interesting. I've have thought about it but never tried it because I didn't want to risk it. But with your experience, I can see that it is very possible as long as they are fed well (which may be the problem for me because I don't have all the time in the world). Ok.

 

[MantidLord]

Interesting. I've have thought about it but never tried it because I didn't want to risk it. But with your experience, I can see that it is very possible as long as they are fed well (which may be the problem for me because I don't have all the time in the world). Ok.

Well actually, the reason why I put them together in the first place is because it was getting harder for me to get food (back when I was catching and not buying crix). I put them together to try and "lighten the load" . But they never ate each other and I ended up having to feed them all anyway <_< . But I just decided to keep them together.

 

[sporeworld]

I think I forgot to reply properly, but "yeah", I've got "Stagmomantis limbata", not Carolina (all green underwings - no pretty colors). And now SHE's got little ones crawling around, too (I missed an ooth, apparently). Sigh.

I'll keep my eye out for Bordered Mantids in the summer...

Cheers!

Mark

 

[Ntsees]

...I've got "Stagmomantis limbata", not Carolina (all green underwings - no pretty colors)....

Nice, you got nymphs. Anyways, from past discussions on this forum, it appears that the Bordered and Carolina mantids look very similar. They can have similar markings (i.e. banded tibia) and their underwings appear to be very similar too (~yellowish). The difference is the black speck that appears on the forewing. The Carolina's have that black speck but the Bordered mantid doesn't.

 

[MantidLord]

I'll keep my eye out for Bordered Mantids in the summer...Cheers!

Mark

Congratulations. You do realize that "bordered mantids" are S. limbata right? Unless your describing the elusive California, then ignore me.