Warning to Those with Flying Adult Mantises

[Krissim Klaw]

I just had a scare with my boy Voodoo. I was cleaning his cage and he decided he wanted to have some fun flying around my room, which is normally not a problem. He however decided to fly up and do a tailspin landing right up in my ceiling light fixture. I immediately turned the light off and got him down but even with the energy efficient bulbs it uses it still gets pretty hot. I've never had this happen before and I felt I would share the warning to anyone handling their flighted boys. If you have a light in the room that gets hot I would suggest turning it off when they are out. You can never tell where their wings will take them. :nuke:

 

[aychen222]

I had something similar happen to creo male. Flew right into a desk lamp and I burned my hand unscrewing the bulb to get to him. He had to be put in the freezer after a week because of self amputation and infection.

 

[Digger]

Something like this happened to me a week ago Kriss. Twitch, my L5 T. sinensis decided to climb up my desk lamp (fairly tall fixture). Of course they love to climb to higher spots and they all are instinctively drawn to concentrated light sources (called "positive phototaxis"). I returned to the desk and couldn't find him. I looked inside the lampshade and there he was - a very hot location indeed (tungsten bulb, which I prefer, since it's less of an environmental hazard than the pigtail bulbs). But he was perfectly fine, and told me he wanted a tan for the Spring to attract the girls. But it's dangerous for sure.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I had something similar happen to creo male. Flew right into a desk lamp and I burned my hand unscrewing the bulb to get to him. He had to be put in the freezer after a week because of self amputation and infection.

Poor boy, I'm sorry for your loss. Voodoo is a creo boy also. Pesky boys always getting into trouble. Thankfully I got him pretty quick and it doesn't look like he was sitting on the actual bulb, but I'll still be watching him very closely.

Something like this happened to me a week ago Kriss. Twitch, my L5 T. sinensis decided to climb up my desk lamp (fairly tall fixture). Of course they love to climb to higher spots and they all are instinctively drawn to concentrated light sources (called "positive phototaxis"). I returned to the desk and couldn't find him. I looked inside the lampshade and there he was - a very hot location indeed (tungsten bulb, which I prefer, since it's less of an environmental hazard than the pigtail bulbs). But he was perfectly fine, and told me he wanted a tan for the Spring to attract the girls. But it's dangerous for sure.

I've always been super careful when it comes to my lower lights but I figured my ceiling one would be pretty safe. I'm not as used to some of these smaller species with the boys that are super nimble in the air and can easily gain altitude. I'm glad your boy was alright.

 

[D_Hemptress]

did he get hurt tho? or is just a nice warning

 

[Bug Trader]

Ive had one or two fly up and meet the ceiling fan, didnt end well for either.......

 

[D_Hemptress]

Ive had one or two fly up and meet the ceiling fan, didnt end well for either.......

o jeeze, that i do always make sure to turn off!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

did he get hurt tho? or is just a nice warning

Claws crossed he is fine. He is acting perfectly normal and I can see no damage but that doesn't rule out damage to the tips of his feet that might show over the next few days. I'm hoping though he managed to escape unscathed.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

I don't have any adults right now, but I've had a few close calls in the past, mostly with adult males and ceiling fans. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Had a male Idolo fly all the way into the other room once, it was hard to find him as he landed in a shoe of all places, my son and I laughed like crazy once we found him peering out of it with a look on his face like "did you see what I just did!".

 

[hibiscusmile]

You think that is bad, try removing one from a fly strip!

 

[agent A]

i had an odonto male fly into a heat lamp with a huge bulb

he fell out a few seconds later, unharmed much to my surprise

 

[hibiscusmile]

ha! he was using sun screen!

 

[sally]

I searched along time for my ghost male... He decided under the window sill was a wonderful hiding spot :S

 

[Krissim Klaw]

You think that is bad, try removing one from a fly strip!

Yikes! Generally my males are busy finding any of the places in my room there is any dust. I can't count how many times I fished one out of a spot covered in dust.

 

[glock34girl]

My ceiling fan is actually completely disconnected in The Anisect Room because my sugar gliders use it as a gliding spot. When they were joeys just learning to glide Capone smacked the light and was burned quite badly on his hands. When I was changing The Fifty (adult C. pictipennis) into his new enclosure he took off flying and went straight to the ceiling fan so I was quite glad the precaution is taken to just disconnect it and use a lamp but I think I will try to screen the bottom of the shade so no one climbs in there to sunbathe!

 

[sinensispsyched]

All my runaway mantids make a beeline up my curtains, until they are at the rod at the top. After my first runaway, I usually just check the curtains and skip the drama.

 

[agent A]

All my runaway mantids make a beeline up my curtains, until they are at the rod at the top. After my first runaway, I usually just check the curtains and skip the drama.

Omg remember the washing machine mantis? I blame the curtains for that one!!

 

[sinensispsyched]

OK, I'm sure you do....Where were you when that was happening..... ?