why do they do this

[sevenoaks]

i know they like to hang upside down from the top of their tub. but i often see them with their arms hanging down totally straight. is this when they get ready to molt or are they sleeping? do they sleep during the day or at night? it seems they eat the crickets i put in there at night. do they see well in the dark?

 

[massaman]

insects dont sleep and some species of mantis are active at night and some others are active in the day and prob getting ready to molt!

 

[Rick]

Mantids are active at night. Arms straight down is unusual. Not sure if I know what you mean though. I notice that RIGHT before a molt the legs hang down a bit more.

 

[hibiscusmile]

My grass mantis do that all the time, and have seen the macrops do it, but like the others, don't know why!

 

[yeatzee]

The closest thing I've seen is with my Sybilla's. The sit there with their arms fully extended for hours, all jittery as if they are high and consequently paranoid :lol:

 

[Chief Tom]

My Chinese Mantids do the arm thing too. I just assumed that they need to stretch their arms out from time to time. Have you guys ever seen them shiver like they are cold, but it's not cold.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I think they are scared when they do that, upsets me!

 

[lancaster1313]

Some of my chinese nymphs, do a shiver when I go to look at them closely. Perhaps I move too quickly, and sometimes they make like a stick, or a dead piece of grass, with forelegs folded, but straight out in front. One of my garden released chinese actually makes like a stick and falls to the next leaf under, or on the ground. It is in my mint garden, this pleases me because I see that it knows how to hide.

 

[revmdn]

I've noticed that with the Chinise, and narrow wing. I think it's them trying to look like a stick. My daughter will say "Don't look at me. I'm not a mantis, I'mma stick!"