The question of whether or not you should feed a plant-feeding moth, Coccinellia mantis, with your orchid plants has many variables. And there are as many variable explanations for feeding habits as there are orchid species. Here I am going to give you the best general information I can find in regard to the feeding habits of this particular orchid, and in so doing give you my recommendation for feeding your orchids.

First, let me say that the Coccinellia mantis is not a true predator of other plant-feeding insects. It is my observation, and I suspect the research that backs up this observation, that it is a social insect. That is to say, its food is provided to it by its colony. On its own, the orchid plant is not predator or prey. Nor is it a scavenger looking to pick over dead or dying plant-food. The behavior that I suspect is related to the fact that, once it has finished eating its meal, it begins to build up stores of stored fats and sugars.

So when feeding this species, one must be careful to match the timing and the amount of food dispensed with the feeding schedule of the individual orchid. Forcing the orchid to eat more than it requires could result in excessive fat storage. Orchids actually benefit from a feeding schedule that is in tandem with the orchid’s season of growth. Forcing an orchid to consume a large amount of sugar at a time when the plant is young will create an imbalance in the amount of nutrients that it receives. This can be offset somewhat by reversing the process by which the orchid obtains calories in the form of salts after growth has completed.

On the other hand, letting the orchid go without food for a substantial length of time can result in the orchid becoming overweight. It has been observed that, when kept under controlled conditions, orchids will occasionally feed on their own body weight. That is what I call starvation feeding. While starvation can be beneficial to orchids under certain circumstances, it is not a suitable feeding routine for most of them.

While it may sound counterintuitive to the experienced aquarist, I have personally fed my orchids using cricket mealworms (and you can do this too! ), bloodworms, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. All of these foods are readily available from your local pet store.

Once the orchid has consumed all of its calcium and magnesium, it will begin to secrete a chemical known as calcysma. This chemical is responsible for the hardening of the orchid’s exoskeleton. If left unchecked, the calcysma will eventually destroy the entire root system of the orchid. As a result, your beautiful flower will fall to the ground, and you will have to replant it. Is that an appealing thought to any person?

Of course feeding your orchid plant a pre-grown cricket, shrimp or mosquito larvae does not mean you cannot feed it your own greens. Many people mistakenly believe that larvae and eggs of the same species are apt to be compatible. However, there are a number of exceptions to this rule. For instance, some orchids can digest mites and eggs of other species but not insects of the same genus. Some, like Paphiopedilum and Cissampelos, can also digest adult insects that have been newly hatched.

In conclusion, the answer to the question, “Does the can orchid mantis eat mealworms?” is not absolutely “yes”. The eating habits of this creature are more of an opportunistic approach to obtaining nutrients. It feeds on its own waste product, so it is only able to consume foods that are already dead. On the other hand, mealworms are not the only source of nutrition for the orchid. Good quality food from your garden can be used as well.