Hand feeding praying mantis

Without a natural food source because they all die off in cold weather these little ladies should be dead. It is much to cold for them outside. They were injured, each missing the use of a front leg, so i brought them inside. I found one moth and a couple of tiny caterpillars, but they moved too much and they are each missing the use of a front leg. That is important for holding the pray. So I thought what about canned cat food??? And the munched it up. This is them eating cat food off a fork. I wonder how long they will live in captivity.They already outlived everyone else. I have had them for 4 days and it is 23 degrees outside. Much too cold for them to survive.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• praying mantis
• feeding
• insects

[18eleanor]

Thanks. They only live so long. She was lucky to still be alive after our first snow.

[JoeCapricorn]

Beautiful creatures. Canned cat-food will work, and is sometimes a good alternative if no other food source is available - especially for tiny mantises. These look like Stagmomantis carolina.

[funstuff59]

OMG THATS SO SAD IM SRY BOUT WAT HAPPENED TO HER I HAVE 2 BUDWING MANTISES