mantis entomology
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I've done my share of research on the praying mantis, I've tempted fate and tried to hatch them myself - it didn't work, but then I was a kid at the time. More recently, I've found them in the front yard among Mom's roses.
This summer, my older brother, mother and I caught about 7 praying mantids in the front yard. I teased my brother about catching a harem, which upset his wife nicely. Don't ask me why she'd be jealous of insects, but she was. Sadly, the majority of these delightful insects passed on naturally. The one that remains, I caught in the rose bush under my bedroom window and earned herself the name Rose.
These funny insects are of course, intelligent and very fast. One I named Kayura I allowed to wander around my room on a yarn leash and she took to climbing my computer's monitor where she chased the mouse cursor resulting in a funny video. Rose has been the longest-lived of the whole group of bugs this year and I'd like to share her story.
It was about June when I caught her (yes, I'm aware it's now November 29th) and she was apparently all ready to lay her eggs, but it took some time to figure that out. She laid her eggs (to my surprise) on October 14th and when I released the last lizard I'd caught (I wanted to know its name and study it a little) she moved into my toads' former tank. Her egg sack ended up being laid in a smaller bug cage, but I have no doubt that when (if) it hatches, the babies will have no trouble finding their way out and into the glass tank. The thing that has me amazed about the adult insect is that it's the end of November and she's still alive!
Normally, a mantis dies when the weather turns cold, but my room is warm. I suppose that's one point in her favor. Since I keep six fire bellied toads as pets (charming little stinkers they are!) I frequently have live crickets around, but more often feed them freeze-dried crickets. Rose might not eat the whole freeze-dried cricket, but she does accept it when offered from tweezers. I've also read that the longest a mantis will live in captivity is November, so I'll just have to wait and see how long into December she'll go.
These bugs are incredibly adaptive, cunning, smart, and love to hide. Fortunately, she can't climb the glass walls of the tank and she's got things to climb on. Although a freeze-dried cricket isn't her first choice for a meal, if she's hungry (which 99% of the time she is) she'll eat it, or at least part of it.
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Being cannibalistic is one of the most well-known facts about the mantis, I probably should've said something about that, you're right. I wouldn't doubt she'd eat her babies, should she live that long, I'm just surprised she's lived as long as she has being a summer bug.
I'm quite well prepared to separate her from her babies if she lives long enough to see them hatch.
I appreciate the compliment and suggestion of mentioning their cannibalistic nature.
Nice post :)
A family member caught one and successfully kept it until February. She laid many eggs sacks and all seem to be fertile. The last one hatched inside the house today, but the rest were put outside to hatch in the spring.
My adult - Rose - finally passed on naturally in late December, but her egg sack remains where she left it. I found a small spice container to preserve her in. Oddly enough, the local World Market had one just the right size that seals perfectly. Considering local weather and how it's been a very dry winter, it's hard to say when the eggs will hatch.
davenmidtown Level 7 Commenter 5 months ago
Hatching mantids is not hard, but they are cannibalistic. They will eat each other. If by chance she survives that long she will eat her babies too. Just be prepared to separate them if you'd like them to live. Otherwise a great hub!