16 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

Last night, while I was checking my porch light for any ants, I happened to notice a very slender insect on the side of my screen. At first I thought it was an assassin bug, but upon closer inspection, it was a baby praying mantis! I looked at it closer and I was able to identify it as a Chinese Praying Mantis, Tenodera sinensis. I counted its abdominal segments and identified it as a male. I have named him Ying, and he is very jumpy and active. He has almost escaped from me several times! He is currently an L3. I will continue to update on his progress as he grows and matures.

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, June 3 2019 - 2:54 AM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Ying is so cute! I was recording him with my macro lens and he would not stop reaching out for the lens! It was the cutest thing! Anyway, he's doing well and is looking good. I'm gonna catch some fruit flies for him, as that would be his preferred food at the moment considering his size. He may also show some interest in springtails, granted, larger ones, probably ones that are that are too large for my Strumigenys louisianae colony to catch, but then again, I have seen them catch and kill springtails larger and heavier than themselves.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Well, he doesn't need fruit flies! I tossed in a large house fly, just to see what her would do, and he started following it around with his eyes, looking very interested, extending his arms a bit every time it came near. After a few misses, he finally caught it! He has currently eaten a little over half of it, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping. I put another fly in with him just to see if he'll eat.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I got another male! I named him Yang, so now I have Ying and Yang. He's a molt above Ying, and probably molted a few days ago, and had not eaten since then, as he was very thin at his capture. I put a fly in with him, along with in Ying's container, and they both took them, Ying taking it sooner as Yang seemed a bit stressed. He's definitely calmed down though.

[TennesseeAnts]

The only thing I can find are male cockroaches flying around and drowning in my pool.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The only thing I can find are male cockroaches flying around and drowning in my pool.

Yeah. Mantids certainly aren't easy to find sometimes.

[ponerinecat]

mantids and cockroaches are related, so your pretty close.

[Leo]

ChInA

[Ferox_Formicae]

Ying has molted! He is now the size of Yang, just a lot softer. I'm gonna try feeding him tonight, as it will have been 24 hours since his molt, and he should have hardened enough to the point where he would be comfortable with eating. I also found out that Yang adores ants! A Pseudomyrmex pallidus worker (more information on that coming soon...) had escaped, and was running up the side of Yang's cage. Yang seemed very interested and kept striking at it, missing obviously.   I caught the worker and put her in with him, and within 2 minutes, the ant had completely disappeared down his gullet. I also gave him a Camponotus nearcticus worker, and he ate that too! So I guess he adores eating ants as well as flies!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Ying and Yang have been moved into their new home, inhabiting the formicarium my Trachymyrmex septentrionalis colony is in. They seem to like it, and they really don't mess with the ants, as they apparently don't like how they taste. They will eat other ants, but not the Trachies. They have yet to show any aggression towards each other, and when they get really close to each other they simply stare at each other for a few seconds before one hits the other away and they both go flying back and scurry away.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Ying seems to be the one who gets all of the food. Last night, Yang caught a large Green Bottle Fly (which really don't contain too much nutrition), but Ying over here catches a big, fat Orchard Orbweaver and now he looks like he's about to explode! I'm gonna catch another Orchard Orbweaver tonight and make sure Yang is the one who gets it. He deserves the nutrition.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Yang has become very attached to me, and reaches out for me every time I reach into the cage. He is absolutely adorable!

[NickAnter]

Still don't beat mammals!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Yang has molted, and he is much bigger now.

[TennesseeAnts]

Pics?

[Ferox_Formicae]

Pics?

Yeah, lemme get some.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Ying

Yang