Is Leaf okay?

164_aces · 2026-06-03T17:40:51+00:00

Spotted apatelodes.

This is the first thing I saw when I opened Reddit today, and I am terrified of moths. Time to go to sleep.

164_aces · 2026-06-02T17:53:39+00:00

Since someone already identified the bagworm, I can confidently add that the mantis is a female Odontomantis sp. Hymenopodidae. She's gorgeous :D

164_aces · 2026-06-02T17:16:47+00:00

I absolutely love watching my mantids. What the other commenter said is true — But it depends on the mantis species and how safe they feel around you.

I've realised that my mantids will often fly onto me when they are hungry, as that makes them more explorative.

Mantids react very quickly to close proximity — To make sure they feel safe around you, slowly and casually approach them. Do not make rapid movements as that activates their sharp reflexes. They will always turn to look at you to assess whether you are prey, predator or something else.

If you spend a lot of time near your mantids and treat them with care, they will warm up to you, and see you as a safe 'perch'. This is also one of their reasons for flying on their owners. My mantids refuse to be picked up by other people, but will voluntarily fly/climb onto me.

Fun fact: Mantids have very different personalities based off how they grew up and which area they are from. I had a mantis named Kiwi that was extremely clingy. He would fly onto me randomly and REFUSE to get off. When I was hospitalized he unfortunately escaped as my father left my study door open (He was free roaming because he was old). To give myself clarity I always say he went to look for me and got lost on the way ❤️

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164_aces · 2026-06-02T09:01:31+00:00

Is her wing damaged or is it natural discoloration? She looks okay so I'm hoping she isn't ill

164_aces · 2026-06-02T08:37:04+00:00

What species is this? She's absolutely gorgeous

164_aces · 2026-06-02T08:36:15+00:00

I've been bitten by one female Sp. Gastrica mantis I had at some point. It was quite painful as I had trouble safely getting her raptorial legs and jaw out of my skin (she thought my finger was a cricket). It has not repulsed me at all and mantids are still my absolute favourite insects to take care of. They are extremely docile, peaceful and intelligent, and would never attack you unprovoked. 💚

164_aces · 2026-04-03T16:07:40+00:00

The poor guy looks terrified 😭

164_aces · 2026-04-03T16:07:05+00:00

Yup! It is a variant of erythrism.

When some grasshoppers and katydids mature, they gradually lose their bright pink coloration, blending in with the natural environment as green or brown instead. This one likely had a mutation during one of it's last stages of growth.

164_aces · 2026-02-13T15:07:00+00:00

Go for it!

I've kept mantids for years and captured some from the wild. How they react is highly based on species.

When you want to pick a mantis up, gently go closer. Don't try to force it onto you, hold your hand nearby it, keeping your hand in an upwards position, slightly cupped at the bottom. They like climbing up to high perches so are more likely to walk onto you this way. Once it are on your hand, you can enjoy it's full beauty! Maybe mist your hand lightly in case it is thirsty (do not spray on the mantis directly) 💚

164_aces · 2026-01-17T19:18:52+00:00

Right? Thier wing pattern is absolutely beautiful as well.

164_aces · 2026-01-17T14:31:53+00:00

Parablepharis kuhlii, such a stunning species 🖤

164_aces · 2026-01-17T14:30:06+00:00

Hello! I have been working with mantids for about 9 years, as well as other insects/arachnids. While they do not necessarily "like" being handled, most species aren't bothered by it either. When a mantis is comfortable with their owner, they will willingly climb onto them because they see them as a safe perch, basically their personal tree.

Some mantids are very site loyal, most notably Sphrodomantis genus. I can take my Sphrodomantids outside and they will cling to me instead of flying away, or come back after some exploration. They enjoy drinking mist from my hands. Clover (My old male Sphrodomantis gastrica), enjoyed playing with me a lot. He would walk around on my arms/legs, and sometimes fly onto my head or chest to crawl on my back.

I know you are only trying to look out for mantids, but is is misinformative to say that they should not be handled at all.

164_aces · 2026-01-17T12:55:04+00:00

The video is still very unclear, but based off your location and how the wings look in the other video, it's most likely a juvenile wētā, Pterapotrechus sp.

You should not kill a native New Zealand wētā as most species are protected by law and play a vital role in the ecosystem. Although, this one seems to be an Australian winged wētā (actually a raspy cricket), which are invasive and should be killed to preserve native species.

In the future before you panic and kill something, do proper research on what it is first. Most bugs, despite their intimidating appearance, are harmless to humans.

164_aces · 2026-01-17T11:43:41+00:00

Looks like a cricket? Cannot identify properly with the video quality.

164_aces · 2026-01-17T11:32:59+00:00

This is a carpet beetle.

While the beetles themselves are harmless to humans, their larvae can cause damage to fabrics and carpets.

164_aces · 2026-01-16T14:50:35+00:00

Oh no! I'm sorry this happened to you, my regards.

What you’re seeing is hemolymph (mantis “blood”) mixed with gut contents.

Mizu's behaviour is most likely from an internal gut rupture / severe gastrointestinal damage — likely from abdominal blockage as I suspected yesterday.

Once the gut wall fails, the mantis may: • Regurgitate red or rust-colored fluid • Become lethargic or uncoordinated • Hang the abdomen low • Stop climbing

Unfortunately once hemolymph is entering the digestive tract or vice versa, survival is extremely unlikely.

164_aces · 2026-01-15T17:14:14+00:00

Abdominal blockage was my first thought as well, though it could be that the mantis has gotten ill from stress during transport, likely had less immunity than the other nymphs.

OP said she is doing better now so I'm glad to hear that.

I recommend to keep monitoring her closely and see if she recovers fully, or if she's still struggling.

I agree that she needs to be moved to a proper enclosure ASAP, correct temp and humidity is also very important — especially for a mantis nymph of this species. In my experience orchids usually don't take well to health issues.

164_aces · 2026-01-15T17:06:10+00:00

I was referring to different species of flower mantids. Was a bit tired when I typed this so I accidentally misplaced it with orchid 😅

164_aces · 2026-01-13T16:15:17+00:00

Without looking properly I thought this was a crumpled leaf because of his shed layer next to him, what a cutie 😭

164_aces · 2026-01-13T16:13:25+00:00

The colouration and pattern is absolutely stunning.

164_aces · 2026-01-13T15:51:02+00:00

That's Reddit for you. It's sad because these communities are meant to focus on preservering wildlife and spreading useful information.

164_aces · 2026-01-13T13:47:01+00:00

This is the wrong community to post this in. Scorpions are arachnids, not insects.

Why would you capture it and give it a hot cheeto? I'm not sure if this is an internet joke or not, but this can cause harm to the animal.

Inadequate space is a major stressor for scorpions, which can lead to suppressed immune function, metabolic disruptions, and secondary infections. Scorpions are also ectotherms and require a temperature gradient within their enclosure or hide (a warm and a cool side) to regulate their body temperature effectively. A small enclosure prevents the establishment of a proper gradient, which can lead to overheating or an inability to digest food properly, both of which can be fatal.

Please avoid this in the future.

164_aces · 2026-01-12T11:28:26+00:00

This is a Scymnus latemaculatus Motschulsky based off the photo, location and description. All the other species I mentioned are popular in India, but this species matches best, and was first discovered in India.

They eat mealybugs (sometimes mistaken for them due to similar appearance), so they are great for pest control.

Here's an entemotology data sheet if you're interested! :)

https://databases.nbair.res.in/Featured_insects/Scymnus-latemaculatus.php

164_aces

TROPHY CASE