ellroy
Member
Small Nymph Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK


Mantis Eating Pollen

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I've just been reading an article called 'Pollen feeding and fitness in praying mantids: the vegetarian side of a tritrophic predator.' It was a study carried out in 2003 on Chinese mantis Tenodera aridfolia sinensis where they observed nymphs actively feeding on pollen after hatching and increased fitness in adults feeding on pollen-laden insects. They also noted higher fertility in females located on flowers.
I'm not suggesting we all start converting our mantids to a pollen diet but it does perhaps imply that dusting food with some kind of supplement may be beneficial, particularly for breeding females. I would imagine that some of the specialist supplements may include some pollen content but Ian may have a bit more idea about this. (I think some of the crested gecko supplements may include pollen???)

Cheers

Alan

Reference: Pollen feeding and fitness in praying mantids: the vegetarian side of a tritrophic predator (2003). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY

admin
Administrator
Large Nymph Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bath, UK

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I know that reptile food suplement is very high in calcium, and also contains honey, polen, rosehip extract and a few other natural, sweet ingredients. How ever, by the sounds of the scale those mantids were eating polen, there would be far to little polen in the reptile suplement, to cause a difference in the mantids.
Maybe there are some higher pollen supplements available.
Would be interesting adding pure pollen to their diet, see if it was to cause any other effects.
Cheers,
Ian

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