MrPitseleh: I was much less mad at you personally than at the trend that I have seen since I have been here, about two years, of folks, often but not always newcomers, who ask questions like, "how many ooths will my fertile Chinese mantis lay?" Of course, no one knows the answer to this, though sometimes an experienced and kindly soul like Ismart will offer an informed guess, but the enquirer
never reports how many ooths their mantis actually laid. I don't mind being a grumpy old man on occasion, but please don't take it personally. Poor Rick, has been at this on a daily basis for years, repeating answers to the same questions on something like a three month rotation. When I become King (and I understand that that is in the works) I shall present him with the Royal Medal (equivalent to the Presidential Medal only bigger and shinier) for "Services to the Mantis Community Beyond the Call of Duty."
By all means post pix of insects that you discover are unpalatable to mantids and, more importantly, any ill effects that the mantids might suffer. Try to identify the insect on the internet, first, though, using something like www.bugguide.net or www.insectidentification.org. Your information may prove very useful.
Remember, though, if you believe in evolution, noxious defensive chemicals only work if they prevent predators from attacking, like the centip millipede or bombardier beetle or if a combination of noxiousness and aposematic coloration will stop the predator with color vision from making more than one attempt. While an insect might be accidentally harmful to a mantis, who appears to be color blind, its toxin will have no advantageous effect on the species' survival.
And finally, raisins really are a tasty and healthful snack. I think that I shall have some now, before heading out!
Take care!
