what flower mantids are communal?

[hierodula]

Would you guys say that flower mantids are as agressive as Hierodula sp? you know, so I could get an idea.

 

[gripen]

Would you guys say that flower mantids are as agressive as Hierodula sp? you know, so I could get an idea.

for the most part yes.

 

[hierodula]

ok well, I really need an agression meter then! :surrender: I thought Hierodulas were cannibalistic, cause I have had them seting each other in a terrarium even though there were at least 20 bb's at a given time. Jeez!

 

[gripen]

Yeah even creos will stalk each other like hierodulas.

 

[aNisip]

Every thing about this statement is incorrect. Idolos are much larger than blephs, while they eat the same things they live in opposite climates! Blephs live in the desert and CANNOT BE EVER SPRAYED while idolos need daily spraying. Not to mention that blephs are EXTREMELY cannibalistic and aggressive. They will take bbs at L3...

Also I cant remember who said brunners were communal but that is not true! They eat each other at L1!

The only flower mantis I would keep together is creos and even that is a stretch.

I meant to just say 'basically similar enclosure set-ups' I mistyped the environment part...sorry I wouldn't put a desert specie with a jungle one, I only offered they would be good matches because the size difference isn't that big and they have the similar diets...and my experience with blephs is they never showed aggression towards each other and they were well fed well so that's probably why I never experienced aggression with them...I would never put these guys in the same enclosure I was hypothetically speaking...saying they WOULD be a good pair...I thought the extreme environmental factors were understood....I can't say a thing w/o ppl taking things so literally now a days...

 

[twolfe]

I have raised wahlbergii together but always separate them as sub adults or adults. At L3 or later instars, I keep no more than 10 together in a net or terrarium. But if you get a cannibal in the bunch, then it's best to separate them at an earlier instar. They seem to be more aggressive when the temps are warmer. My biggest problem with raising them communually has been issues with them getting knocked down while molting than with cannibalism. I feed mine well and give them lots of places to hang out.

 

[Sneaky123]

I had a bad experience with brunner cannibalism... How about pictipennis? They actually have a dance to warn siblings not to come near.

All flowers are pretty aggressive. How did you get orchids to not cannibalize?!?! Those are one of the most aggressive!

Funny thing, I got Limbatas to not cannibalize. Or my dad did. I was gone for a week and he took care of my mantids, completely overfeeding the ones that were in groups. When I saw them again, there had been no casulties (L2-L3 when I left, L4 when I got back) so I continued to overfeed, and it's like it's been ingrained into them not to cannibalize. I still keep two of them together now.