The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) stands out as one of the most visually stunning and captivating insects in the animal kingdom. Native to Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, this mantis has evolved to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, making it a superb predator and an iconic example of nature's ingenuity. Its striking appearance closely resembles a delicate orchid flower, making it a master of camouflage and mimicry. This article delves into the specifics of the orchid mantis's diet, offering detailed guidance on what to feed these fascinating creatures, especially during different life stages and seasons.
Understanding the Orchid Mantis
The orchid mantis is best known for its remarkable appearance, which closely mimics the appearance of an orchid flower. The orchid mantis’s body and limbs are adorned with pink, white, and sometimes purple hues, mimicking the color and shape of orchid flowers. Its body is slender and elongated, allowing it to blend in seamlessly with flowers and foliage. The forelimbs are particularly modified to resemble flower petals, with jagged edges and slight extensions that give the illusion of a flower's delicate structure. Adult females reach lengths of about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) and males generally being smaller, around 6-7 cm (2.5-3 inches). The mantis has large, forward-facing eyes, which provide excellent binocular vision, allowing it to spot prey from a distance while remaining perfectly still and hidden from predators.
Natural Diet and Feeding Behavior
The orchid mantis is an ambush predator, relying on its ability to blend into its surroundings to hunt. The orchid mantis does not actively hunt its prey; instead, it uses its exceptional camouflage to wait for insects to approach, lured by the "flower-like" appearance of the mantis. As a pollinator or other insect lands near or on the mantis, it strikes quickly and with precision. The orchid mantis feeds primarily on small flying insects, such as bees, butterflies, moths, and dragonflies, as well as other smaller insects. Using its strong forelegs, the mantis captures its prey and swiftly devours it. The mantis is a carnivorous insect, and its predatory nature makes it an effective hunter, using its long, raptorial forelimbs to grab and immobilize prey before eating it alive.
Nutritional Needs
As ambush predators, orchid mantises have specific nutritional needs that must be met in captivity to ensure their health and well-being.
- Protein: Essential for growth and molting.
- Hydration: Obtained from the body fluids of their prey and supplemented by misting the enclosure.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Gut-loading feeder insects is crucial for providing these nutrients.
What to Feed Orchid Mantises
A varied diet is essential for the health and vitality of orchid mantises. Here's a breakdown of suitable food options:
Read also: A Guide to Peacock Mantis Shrimp
- Small Nymphs: Small nymphs do best on Drosophila hydei fruit flies. Offer 2-3 fruit flies every few days. They must be left out at room temperature.
- Larger Nymphs and Adults: As your orchid grows, you can move on houseflies or small red runner roaches. Larger orchids will enjoy medium/large size red runner roaches or blue bottle flies.
Feeder Insects: A Detailed Look
Fruit Flies (Drosophila hydei): Ideal for small nymphs due to their size and ease of culturing.
- Pros: Easy to culture, readily available.
- Cons: May not be sufficient for larger mantises.
Flies (e.g., Blue Bottle Flies): An excellent source of nutrition and mimics the mantis's natural diet.
- Pros: High in protein, stimulates natural hunting behavior.
- Cons: Can be challenging to manage, may require refrigeration to control.
Roaches (e.g., Dubia, Red Runner): A nutritious and readily available option, especially for larger nymphs and adults.
- Pros: Easy to breed, good source of protein.
- Cons: Some mantises may not readily accept them.
Mealworms: While they can be offered, they should not be a staple due to their high fat content.
- Pros: Readily available.
- Cons: High in fat, low in other essential nutrients.
Wax Worms: In the winter if food is short give your mantis a wax worm to fill it up. They are very high in fat but feed sparingly.
Read also: Nymph to Adult Diet
Foods to Avoid
- Crickets: Crickets are not good for Orchids. They should never be an option.
Seasonal Feeding Strategies
- Summer: Open a window a few flys are bound to come in. Check by a park or side walk. Dog dropping attract hordes of bottle flys. If you see one with flys Carefully place a sandwich bag over it. As the flys move up towards the end lift the bag and quickly close the opening, then quickly look around and hope nobody saw you lol. At night check the light posted by your front and backyard door for moths and other flying bugs like lacewings. Moths are more nutritious during summer because they are more full from the nectar they collect. Avoid butterflies and honey bees for now. I only feed them to my adult females for egg production but with the decline of bees and some regulations on butterfly species They are fed sparingly. Oh and don't feed wasps or yellow jackets. Orchids are experts at capturing bees and wasps in the wild but they still pose a danger.
- Winter: Depending on where you live you might be able to find yourself some good wild food during the winter. Here in NorCal where I live Craneflys and moths are usually abundant during the winter months but they do not provide enough nutrition and are usually fed to mix up their diet. don't be afraid to give a mealworm or two. They should honestly be the last resort.
- Year-Round: You can usually order 500 of them online for $10 including shipping. If a local fish bait store has them even better. BB fly pupae should last you easily a good month of food if you refrigerate them. Take out a few pupae to hatch at a time. Gut load the flys with honey a feed them accordingly. In the event all the flys hatch at the same time…..and trust me it's bound to happen =__= keep them all in a large container like a large sterilite bin. They should live for another 3 week with some care, don't expect to be breeding them though. It's a tricky and nasty process from what I've seen and heard. Your better off buying new ones every month or until you run out. That's just all you have to worry about winter.
Gut-Loading and Supplementation
Gut-loading feeder insects is essential to provide a balanced diet for orchid mantises. This involves feeding the insects nutritious foods before offering them to the mantis.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes to feeder insects.
- Commercial Gut-Loading Diets: These are formulated to provide a balanced nutritional profile.
- Hydration: Ensure feeder insects have access to water, which also hydrates the mantis.
Tips for Successful Feeding
- Observe Feeding Behavior: Monitor your mantis's feeding habits to ensure it is eating regularly.
- Maintain Proper Humidity: Mist the enclosure daily with bottled water only. Do NOT use tap water. We do not use additional heat sources or mats for our orchids.
- Provide a Suitable Enclosure: For orchid mantis nymphs, your enclosure can be very simple. As simple as a deli/salsa cup with a fully ventilated top. We like to cut out the inside of the top, leaving only the rim of the lid intact. Then we take organza, tulle or mesh and hot glue it over the cut out. This way the top is fully ventilated and allows for optimal airflow. The fabric cover also gives your orchid mantis an excellent grip to hang upside down from. We also like to take sand paper and scour the inside of the deli cup. This will give your mantis more gripping surface on the inside of the deli cup. One of the biggest benefits of keeping your small orchid mantis nymph in a small deli cup for the first few molts is that they will always be able to find their food. Fruit flies can be hard for an orchid mantis to find in a large enclosure and you risk your orchid nymph not finding its food easily. After your orchid has molted a few times, you can upgrade them to bigger deli cup container and modify the lid again. This time you can create more ventilation by cutting out a small area on the side of the deli cup- and cover again with organza, mesh or tulle and hot glue it down to cover. This way you will have ventilation coming through the top of the container and down through the bottom where the cut out is. You can also move them into a full mesh enclosure like the popular mesh cubes used for butterflies. Of course, you can also create elaborate and creative enclosures too! A Google or Pinterest search will bring up hundreds of ideas. But please remember, you MUST provide adequate ventilation AND gripping surface for your mantis if you use these types of enclosures. If your enclosure is glass or acrylic, be sure to hot glue down some rug gripper on the top, left, right and back sides of the enclosure. Leave the front side open for optimal viewing. By affixing rug gripper to the sides of the enclosure, you are giving your orchid adequate gripping and climbing surface to get to the top of the enclosure. It’s ok to add faux orchids, plants, sticks, etc as decoration, however, these should not be the only way your mantis can get to the top of the enclosure. They must be able to reach the top using the sides only.Below are examples of this.
- Avoid Overfeeding: One common mistake is overfeeding. Another mistake is feeding them too often.
- There is an easy way to ensure your orchid mantis is well-fed to support their growth and development. Pay attention to the abdomen area. If it looks full and plump, your orchid is well fed. If it looks flatten or thin, your mantis needs to eat.
Breeding Considerations
Females must be given at least eight weeks from their final molt to sexually mature. Males must be given one to two weeks from final molt to sexually mature. Introduce a receptive and well-fed female and a male within a spacious enclosure, ensuring ample space for mating rituals. The male may approach the female with caution, engaging in courtship behavior. Monitor their interactions closely to prevent aggression or potential harm. If your female is tries to grab the male, separate them at once and try again later.
Obtaining Food
You can buy Orchid Mantis food online or in pet stores. Depending on the type of food you buy, you may need to make some preparations. Place the prepared food into the enclosure and leave it there for your Orchid Mantis to find. After a few hours, check the tank to see if there is any food left.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet