Bonus Meal - Mantis eats Grasshopper

Bonus adult mantis feeding video! As adults, mantises are prime hunters and are able to take down large prey. Roaches, spiders, mealworms, superworms, etc are all excellent candidates. Again, I am feeding Chinese mantises; if you have exotic mantises, please take precaution. When handling prey insects; yes, they will become food but do not mistreat them.

All the prey insects I feed my mantises are wild caught. Occasionally, I find grasshoppers eating the plants in my front yard. In this video; the mantis has already captured the grasshopper. When presenting larger prey; you must consider said prey's defensive tactics. Grasshoppers have powerful hind legs. The strong hind legs work like springs, storing up potential energy until it is released, which catapults the grasshopper's body into the air. Adult grasshoppers then use their wings to fly after the jump provides them a necessary boost. Grasshoppers have the ability to spit a brown liquid at a predator; they can also bite with their strong jaws.

This mantis started from the grasshopper's thorax; and ate its way to the abdomen. The mantis left the grasshopper's head and legs. I have fed this species crickets and grasshoppers; discarding the harder parts of these insects is common. Thanks to this meal, this mantis will be full for the week. One bug's trash is another bug's treasure! I gave the remnants of the grasshopper to some ants.