A Chamber For Mass Hatching And Early Rearing Of Praying Mantids

6 Pages·1993·2.1 MB·English

by  F R Prete

Vol. 104,No. 1,January& February, 1993 47
A CHAMBER FOR MASS HATCHING AND
EARLY REARING OF PRAYING MANTIDS
(ORTHOPTERA: MANTIDAE)1
Frederick R. Prete, RobertJ. Mahaffey^
ABSTRACT:Arugged,easilymaintainedpolycarbonateandlucitechamberforthemass
hatchingandearly rearingofprayingmantises isdescribed.Thechamberissealed after
eggs are introduced so that even the smallest prey (e.g.,Drosophila) cannot escape. An
aquarium pump forces fresh air through a water bottle into the sealed chamber. Gas
exchangeandtheintroductionofprey,food,andwateroccurthroughseveralholesthatare
plugged with foam rubber. Ifnecessary, the temperatureofindividualchamberscan be
raised above ambientby placingan incandescent lightbulb attheappropriatedistance.
The praying mantis' dramatic method ofpreycapture and the rela-
tiveeasewithwhichthepredatorystrikecanbeelicitedinthelaboratory
have made this insect an important investigatory tool for the study of
visually guided behaviors (e.g., Barnes, 1979; Barnes and Mote, 1980;
Collet, 1987; Liske and Mohren, 1984; Kirmse, 1985; Horridge, 1986;
Rossel, 1986; Prete, 1991; Prete, 1992a, b; Prete, etal, 1992a, b).
In spite of the popularity of mantises among professional and
amateurentomologists,informationregardingmethodsofmass rearing
andmaintainingtheseinsectsremainsprimarilyanecdotal.Afewinfor-
mative reports on small scale rearinghave appeared (e.g.. Heath, 1980),
butproblemsuniquetothoserearinglargenumbersofmantisesremain
unaddressedintheliterature. Here,wedescribeachamberinwhich egg
cases can be incubated and young (e.g., up to fourth or fifth instar
Tenodera orSphodromantis) mantises can be easily raised priortobeing
placedinindividualcontainers.Thechambersolvesseveraloftheprob-
lems that mantis breeders face for instance: maintaining high
humidity, maintaininghigh preydensities,feedingtheintroduced prey,
and preventing the escape ofsmall prey.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The chambers are easily built and, with reasonable care, have an
indefinitelife.Thematerialsneededfortheconstructionofonechamber
are these(measurements aregiven in inches forappropriate items): i)a
polycarbonate rodent cage (51 x 41 x 22 cm; Fisher Scientific); ii) one
pieceofclearlucite(53x42x0.64cm);iii)elevenfoamrubberplugs( 3.5
1 ReceivedJune27, 1992.AcceptedJuly 18, 1992.
2 DepartmentofPsychology,Youngstown StateUniversity,Youngstown,Ohio44555.
ENT. NEWS 104(1): 47-52.January& February. 1993
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48
x4cm; e.g.,standardDrosophila vial plugs); iv)42cm longx 3.8 cm(1.5
inches)widealuminumpianohinge;v)42cmlongx 1.3cm(.5inch)wide
aluminumangle;2.5cmlong(1 inch)6-32roundheadbolts, 1.6cmlong
(.625 inch) 10-32 Hat head bolts, 1.6 cm long (.625 inch) 6-32 Oat head
bolts, appropriate washers and nuts. A finished chamberis pictured in
Fig. 1.
Thefirststepistocuttheluciteintotwosectionsacrossitswidth.One
piecewillserveasadoor,theotherasthepermanentlyattachedportion
ofthetop.Thewidth ofthedoorcanbevariedto suit individual prefer-
encesbutwesuggestcuttingtheluciteintotwoapproximatelyequalsec-
tions. This allows sufficient access to the chamber interior when re-
movingmantises andcleaningwithouthavingto removetheentiretop.
The two pieces oflucite are connectedwith the piano hinge on theout-
side ofthe chamber. Ifthe hinge is not pre-drilled, the 10-32 fiat head
screwsarespaced 10cmbetweencenterswiththeheadsrecessedintothe
lucite.Thealuminumangleisattachedtothelipofthedoorwiththe6-32
flatheadscrews,alsospaced 10cmbetweencentersandrecessedintothe
lucite. Fewerscrews should notbeusedinthatonepurposeofthehinge
and angle is to preventthelucite fromwarping. Ifthe two top pieces do
not fitsnuglyunderthehinge,thegapcanbe filledwith a stripof.64cm
(.25 inch) wide adhesive foam rubber weather stripping (e.g., Door &
Window Weather Strip, Macklanburg-Duncan, Oklahoma City, OK).
Thetop is affixed to the bottomwith the6-32 round head screws. Holes
shouldbe drilled through thetop such thatthe screws pass through the
centerofthe rolledlipofthebox;The6-32nutswill fitsnuglywithinthe
lip. Holesshouldbedrilled forfourboltsoneach side(twoon each side
ofthetopandtwooneach sideofthedoor)and forthreealongtheback
edgeofthetop.Thisistheminimumnumbersufficienttopreventthetop
from warping.
Seven 3.2cm(1.25 inch)holes aredrilled in thesidesofthebox, and
fourinthetop(seeFig. 1 forplacement). Foam rubberplugsareinserted
intoeachhole.StandardDrosophilavialplugsworkwell;however;larger
holes maybe drilled as longas theplugs used fit snugly. Prey, and food
for the prey are introduced through these holes.
Fresh humid airissuppliedtothechamberbya standard aquarium
pump attached to an 8 oz (237 ml) polyethylene wash bottle (Carolina
Biological)containingwater.Afterclippingoffthethintiptoincreaseair
flow, the nozzle ofthe bottle is inserted into the chamber through the
centerofoneofthefoam rubberplugs.Anymid-sizedpump(x;2500cc/
min at4 PSI) is sufficient to aerate two chambers. Ifchambers become
too humid, any number of foam rubber plugs can be replaced with
squarepiecesoffinescreen tapedovertheholesand/orthewash bottle
Vol. 104,No. 1,January&February, 1993 49
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50
canbeemptied. Internal chambertemperaturecan be monitoredbyan
aquariumthermometerand,ifnecessary,thetemperaturecanbe raised
above ambient by placing an incandescent light bulb at the appro-
priate distance.
Perch sites forthe mantisesaresuppliedbyacontinuous(2.5 meter)
length of 15 cm high heavy (_> 5 x mm) plastic mesh folded back and
forth inside ofthe chamber (e.g., Co-Polymer Gutter Guard, Allumax
Home
Products, Lancaster, PA).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Priortohatching,eggcasesarehungfromtheplastic meshwithwire
hooks and the door is bolted closed. Generally, we incubate simul-
taneouslyfourtoeighteggcasesofaboutthe same age inonechamber.
Although the chamber is relatively easy to use, precautions are
necessary.
Forovertwo hundred years, those who have written about keeping
mantiseshavecontinuallyremindedtheirreadersthatcannibalismcan
be held to a minimum by supplying the mantises with sufficient prey
(Prete andWolfe, 1992).This is easilydonewith achamberfromwhich
preycannotescapeand,iffed,survivewelluntileaten.Forearlyinstars,
we suggest the following procedure:justbefore the mantises hatch and
priorto boltingthechamberlid closed, place ajar(approximately 50 x
110cm)halffilledwithcommercialDrosophilafoodonitssideunderone
ofthe foam rubber plugs. Placing thejaron its side prevents mantises
from becoming entrapped in the food. Shortly after the first hatching
(and then as needed) anesthetized flies can be added by pouring them
throughafunnelinsertedintooneoftheholesinthetopofthechamber.
Ifthe foam rubberplugis keptin placeduringtheprocedure and isjust
pushed aside by the funnel's spout, flies and mantises cannot escape.
When thejarneeds refilling, itcan be righted easilyby means ofa long
sturdywirewith 1.5cmofthetipbentatarightangle.Thewireisinserted
throughaholeinthetopofthechamber(withtheplugkeptinplace),and
hookedunderthelipofthejar.Then,with thejar'sbasepushedagainst
thesideofthechamber,itispulleduprightandslid,ifnecessary,directly
under the foam rubber plug. With practice, this procedure takes only
seconds. Once upright, the jar can be refilled with Drosophila food
through a funnel and returned to its side with the wire hook.
Obviously,otherprey,suchascricketsofanysize,canbeintroduced
intothechamberthrough a funnelofappropriatesize. Preycanbe sup-
pliedwithslicesofvegetablesimpaledonathinstainlesssteelwirethatis
bentatthetipand insertedthrough oneoftheholes inthetop.Thewire
Vol. 104,No. 1,January& February, 1993 51
should extend sufficiently farbeyond the top to prevent it from falling
into the chamber. Although crickets can be maintained on just vege-
tableswithhighwatercontent,suchaspotatoes,iftheybecomethirstyor
hungry they will prey on the mantises. To avoid this problem, we also
supply the crickets with powdered laboratory rodent food and fresh
water. The formeris simplypoured through a funnel into thechamber.
Waterissuppliedinasliceofwetspongeimpaledonathinstainlesssteel
wire as is donewith vegetables. The sponge should not be so wetthat it
loseswaterintothechamber.Wehavefounditbesttoplaceasmallplas-
ticdish intowhich thecricketscanclimb(such as a smalljarlid)under
thespongetokeepexcesswateroffthechamberfloor.Thiscan bedone
by placing the dish under the hole through which the sponge will be
inserted before the lid is bolted down or by first threading the wire on
whichthespongeisimpaledthroughthecenterofthedish.Obviously,if
thelattermethodisused,aholelargeenoughtoacceptthedishhastobe
cut in the lid.
Once mantises reach approximately the sixth instar(depending on
species), we transfer them into aquaria with screen tops; immediately
after their final molt, they are placed in individual containers.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported in part by a University Research Council Grant from
YoungstownStateUniversity.WethankS.P.GrossmanofTheUniversityofChicago,and
B.GreenbergoftheUniversityofIllinoisatChicagoforcriticallyreadinganearlierversion
ofthismanuscript.Wealsothankourrefereesandeditorfortheirthoughtfulcriticismsand
suggestions.
LITERATURECITED
Barnes, S. N. 1979. The visual system ofthe mantis Tenodera aridifoliasinensis. Invest.
Ophthalmol.Vis. Sci. Suppl.: 277-278.
Barnes, S. N., and Mote, M. I. 1980. Lamina mono polarcells ofthe praying mantis
Tenodera-aridifolia:Responsepatternandreceptivefields.Invest.Ophthalmol.Vis.Sci.
Suppl.: 88.
Collett,T. S. 1987. Binoculardepth vision inarthropods.TINS. 10: 1-2.
Copeland,J.,andCarlson,A,D.1977.Preycaptureinmantids:Prothoracictibialflexion
reflex.Jour. Insect. Physiol.23: 1151-1156.
Corrette,B.J.1980.Motorcontrolofpreycaptureinthepreyingmantis,Tenoderaaridifolia
sinensis. Ph.D.dissertation,Univ. ofOregon 217 pp.
Heath,G.H. 1980.Rearingandstudyingtheprayingmantids.Amat.Entomol.Soc.Leaf.
36: 1-15.
Horridge,G.A. 1986.Atheoryofinsectvision: velocityparallax. Proc.R.Soc. Lond. B.
229: 13-27.
Kirmse,W.1985,Shortcommunication.Visualpositioninformationcontrollingsmooth-
trackingintheprayingmantis.Jour. Exp. Biol. 119: 365-367.
Liske,E.,andMohren,W. 1984.Saccadichead movementsoftheprayingmantis,with
ENTOMOLOGICALNEWS
52
particular reference to visual and proprioceptive information. Physiol. Entomol. 9:
29-38.
Prete,F.R. 1990.Preycatchinginmantids:Theroleoftheprothoracictibialflexionreflex.
J. Insect Physiology, 36: 335-338.
Prete, F. R. 1991. Configurational prey selection bythe prayingmantis.,Sphodromantis
lineola (Burr.): The effects ofsize and direction ofmovement. Brain, Beh. Evol. 36:
300-6.
Prete,F.R. 1992a.Theeffectsofbackgroundpatternandcontrastonpreydiscrimination
by theprayingmantisSphodromantislineola (Burr). Brain. Beh. Evol. (in press).
Prete,F.R. 1992b.Thediscriminationofvisualstimulirepresentingpreyversusnon-prey
bythe prayingmantis,Sphodromantislineola(Burr). Brain, Beh. Evol. (in press).
Prete, F. R. and M. M. Wolfe 1992. Religious supplicant,seductivecannibal,orreflex
machine?In searchoftheprayingmantis.J. Hist. Biol.,25:91-136.
Prete,F.R.,H.Lum,andS.P.Grossman 1992a.Non-predatoryingestivebehaviorsofthe
praying mantisSphodromantislineola (Burr.) Brain. Beh. Evol. 39: 124-32.
Prete,F.R.,C.A.Klimek,andS.P.Grossman 1990a.Thepredatorystrikeofthemantis,
Tenoderaaridifoliasinensis(Sauss.).J. Insect Physiol. 36: 561-565.
Prete,F.R.,P.J.Placek,M.A.Wilson,R.J.MahaffeyandR.R.Nemcek 1992b.The
EffectsofStimulusSpeedandOrderofPresentationontheDiscriminationofVisual
StimuliRepresentingPreybythePrayingMantisSphodromantislineola(Burr.),Brain,
Behav. Evol.(inpress).
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265-281.
Continued frompage46
many species it did not initially evolve with, including native species ofPheidole and
Monomorium ants,andevensmallrodentslikemiceandrats.Forexample,T.caespitum
won'tforageinbrightsunlightandtheresultantheat,thereforelimitingitsforagingtimes
inwarmareastonightandmorninghours;somespeciesofantscanforageatmuchhigher
temperaturesduringtheday,andmiceprobablycompetewiththepavementantforfood
during the nocturnal periods. Other factors which may impact the competitiveness of
T.caespitum arethelargenestsizesand foragingareas itmaintains(nestsmaybeupto7
square meters, foragingareas maybeup to40square meters), its toleranceofotherant
speciesinitsareaanditshighinvestmentinreproductives(upto50%ofthecolony'senergy
maygotoward reproductives).
TherewereseveralnotesoflocalentomologicalinterestprecedingMr.King'stalk.Con-
cerningthewidelypublicizeddeclineinmonarchbutterflypopulationsduetoseverecold
andloggingintheiroverwinteringforestsinMexico,DaleSchweitzersuggestedthatlocal
factors mayhavealsoplayedanadditional factor. Hereportedthatpopulationlevelsin
CumberlandCo.,NewJerseyappearedtobebuildinginJuly,butneverappearedasaflush
ofadultsinAugustasexpected,possiblyduetocoolersummertemperaturesand/ordis-
ease.MildredMorganstatedthatnumbersofmonarchstaggedatCapeMay.NewJersey
byJaneRuffinandherselfwasone-tenththatofthepreviousyear.BarbaraKirschenstein
reported on small flies (family Phoridae)attracted toiodized salt. Society presidentJoe
Sheldonurgedeveryonetoattendthetravelinginsectexhibition,"BackyardMonsters"at
the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, which features monstrous robotic insects, a mar-
velouscollectionofOH MY! insects from around theworld, interactiveexhibits and an
operational scanning electron microscope. The meeting at the Academy of Natural
Scienceswasattendedby27 membersandtheirguests.
Jon K. Gelhaus,
CorrespondingSecretary