Will mantids eat stick insects?

[cicada]

I've never raised mantids, but I have raised stick insects. I'm wondering if I would be able to feed stick insects to mantids -- has anyone tried this? If I end up with too many stick insects, I wouldn't mind using the old/disabled sticks as food for a mantis.

I'm new to this forum, so sorry if this is an old question!

 

[happy1892]

Yes, if they are not too big.

 

[Domanating]

Yes, if they are not too big.

Are you kidding? Give them the big ones! The stick insects are defenseless (most of them) but they are incredibly strong. I gave my mantids a lot of stick insects. The battle is fierce. The stick insect cannot hurt the mantis (again most of them as some have big jaws or spikes) but it is able to drag it along the enclosure with extreme determination and strenght. The mantis will still be eating the victim even if being dragged around and will eventually chew the stick insect in half.

My experience is with the Indian stick insect which doesnt pass 9cm in lenght. I'm aware that there are much bigger species but if they don't have any defense tactics besides camouflage, i'm afraid they will lose no matter how big

 

[happy1892]

Are you kidding? Give them the big ones! The stick insects are defenseless (most of them) but they are incredibly strong. I gave my mantids a lot of stick insects. The battle is fierce. The stick insect cannot hurt the mantis (again most of them as some have big jaws or spikes) but it is able to drag it along the enclosure with extreme determination and strenght. The mantis will still be eating the victim even if being dragged around and will eventually chew the stick insect in half.

My experience is with the Indian stick insect which doesnt pass 9cm in lenght. I'm aware that there are much bigger species but if they don't have any defense tactics besides camouflage, i'm afraid they will lose no matter how big

Then those were not too big, hehehehehe.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Wordy! I could not watch it...

 

[Domanating]

Then those were not too big, hehehehehe.

I was looking around for stick insect species and they're usual lenght and yeah, Indian stick insects are minors compared to most species. Still, if there isn't a very large difference between a mantis and a stick insect then the mantis could be able to take it down.

While looking i found this.... After watching this video i was literally... Speechless:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Phasmatodea#p00cqcsm

 

[Rick]

Can they eat them? Yes. Will they eat them? I don' t know. Those are very cryptic and might not move enough naturally to attract a mantids attention. However, if you hold it up to the mantis with forceps or something the mantis will likely grab onto it.

 

[psyconiko]

You all forgot to mention toxicity.Regardless of the size,some Phasmids are not harmless and can defend themselves by spraying some toxic fluids.

For example,I will never give a Peruphasma or an Oreophotes to a mantis.And I will avoid a clash of the titans between a Heteropteyx and a Gigamantis.I am not sure the mantis could take the phasmid down without any serious wounds.

But most of the Phasmid species are edible by mantis and other predators.