Why Are Male Ghost Mantises Such Picky Eaters?

[stacywhite75]

I guess it's not just the Ghosts come to think of it. My Unicorn (Lucy-thought I bought a she and turned out to be a he) and Indian Jeweled Flower (Astrid) are also stubborn when it comes to eating. I have to cut the heads off of the BBFs & small dubias because they don't like it when the legs move around and tickle their raptors and they need to be enticed by the feeders "blood". My Panther (Masi) I have no problems with him eating. When I get some extra time, I can't wait to post pictures of all my mantis "children."

 

[MantisGirl13]

Most male mantids have a smaller appetite (excluding some species, and some individuals.)

Males have a thinner and smaller abdomen than females, which means that they cannot intake as much food. Their prey drive is then usually not as strong as a female's because if they wanted to eat and eat and eat, their abdomens would be too full (a bursting abdomen is possible, I've seen it) and in the case of adult males, too full to bend around the female's abdomen to mate.

- MantisGirl13