Wild Mantis

[sk8erkho]

Hey guys!!

Last Sunday, (not this past), my neighbor called my cell freaking out about a Thing on her window screen. She's on the second floor of the complex. When I got there she goes," Girl, there's an animal on my screen and I thought I'd call you before I shoo it away. It kind of looks like one of those things you and your boys collect up there!!" It's over there on my window and it just keeps staring in here at me and it's big as h***! So, I get over there and sure enough it was big as H***!!! She is beautiful. Capturing her was not as much a problem as it initially appeared to be as every time I would advance she'd peer right at me with those large bulbous eyes and reposition herself. I grabbed one of the 32oz. cups/lids before I got there just in case. We had to slooowly inch the screen outward so that I could ease the cup out without dropping it or scaring her off. At any rate , patience and a little angling paid off as I popped the cup over her and held it in place while I eased the lid under her. She is literally so long that she kind of folded in the middle just enough to position herself in the cup which she housed snugly from top to bottom. As I gazed at her and pranced around my neighbor's living room singing I gotta new pet.. I got a new pet... I noticed she was really thin around the abdomen. She looked as if she had not eaten in days or more. I got her upstairs put her in the 10gal. all set up and threw in a few large crickets. As they approached he just flicked them away. Day have gone by and she has only eaten ONE cricket. I threw in a large fly or two from out side and she pays them no attention. Two days ago I was curious as to whether she would let me handle her or not as I had been daily stroking her back once or twice a day to get her use to my touch. So, 2 nights ago I let the lid up just enough for the stroke but decided to go for seeing if she would reach for my hand and she did. I carefully eased her out of the tank as she sat and checked out the apt. It was late so I just decided to wait until the next day to decide what to do with her and just as I went to put her back she took off!!!!! Sounded like a bat flying around my living room. She headed straight for the window. I got her back and put her back into the tank and she still has not eaten. I was wondering if it is the whole thing about getting use to captivity. But, I did not catch her to end up watching her die. But, is there any thing else I can try before I just suck it up and let her go???

 

[Orin]

Does she drink if she's misted? Just make sure she's hydrated if she won't eat. They can normally survive a week without feeding as long as they get water. If she is too ill to eat again there probably isn't much you can do.

 

[MantisDude15]

try peircing the crickets, so the juices flow out a bit. i hear that attracts the mantids a lot, maybe she will eat then.

only thing i can suggest :S

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yea, it's mating time for them, I am assuming it is a Chinese due to it's size, She is an adult so that is probably what is wrong with her, I am just guessing of course. She wants to go back to what she instinctily knows.

 

[sk8erkho]

hibiscusmile!!! You are probably right on point! :wink: I did a little research just before came back to the forum and due to her size and restlessness and all of the above things I have already tried numerous times. I'm taking my little guys with me and we're going to let her go tonight!!

I thought about it also. It was the same time last year that my nephew found the same sized Chinese clinging to our building entrance. He saved her and put her up and two weeks later she began laying ooths on the tank lid. Six to be exact and shortly after she died. I don't know if any of you believe in I don't know if it falls a thing called Full Circle (not sure what it principle it falls under)but we were thinking about this when we caught her. When one of the ooths hatched out last year and my nephew panicked and took it out to the trash bin. He lay it on a little wall along the driveway and the remaining hundred nymphs scurried off in difference directions!!! Well, when we got her here into the apt and checked her out she is Exactly the same size as the mother from last Sept. was and it isn't impossible that she could be one of those nymphs fromthat lid maybe returning here for the last few months of her cylce to mate and pass on!! I know kind of wishful thinking and hokey but.....