Whoo baby Snatchers!!!!

[Rick]

Now that is around here. May be totally different in other areas. You can't tell until you find larvae on the bottom of the enclosure. They act find until that happens. It probably isn't the case, but it often is here with those mantids late to mature.

 

[Schloaty]

Any idea how often we can see "runts?"

I ask because I have a wild chinese female that lives in my garden....I don't even think she makes 3."

Now, she is missing one arm, so perhaps because she didn't get as much to eat, but I don't THINK that's it. I've seen her eating plenty of times.

It was really funny when I saw her with a "boyfriend" a few days ago....HE was noticeable larger than SHE. I've never seen that before.

 

[lancaster1313]

One of my captive raised Chinese females is about an inch shorter and is thinner than my other captive raised females. They were all treated the same. One male was also noticeably larger than the other. These smaller mantids molted later than the larger ones.

 

[Rick]

Any idea how often we can see "runts?"

I ask because I have a wild chinese female that lives in my garden....I don't even think she makes 3."

Now, she is missing one arm, so perhaps because she didn't get as much to eat, but I don't THINK that's it. I've seen her eating plenty of times.

It was really funny when I saw her with a "boyfriend" a few days ago....HE was noticeable larger than SHE. I've never seen that before.

That isn't far off from average. It probably is due to less food over time.