# My mantis is not eating and lethargic, just how my other mantis died.



## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

Hi there! I'm really confused at this, and think that my now adult hirdoula will die. He has really not liked eating ever since he before he molted into an adult. I get him to eat here and there like every 5 days. It would be a large half size cricket, and he'd usually eat them all. Last night I fed him, and he grabbed it. But he got close to half way done, and then he dropped it. I thought it was strange, but I thought maybe he'll be okay. I woke up this morning, and now he is just hanging on by a leg, and isn't very responsive to much. I picked him up and put him on my arm, and he just floped around on my arm not moving. I put him back, he rearranged himself and seems very out of it. Why is this the second time this has happened to my adult Mantids? Their fine right until they get their wings and now I have problems. Someone please help me understand what's going on here. Thanks.


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## Synapze (Jul 8, 2019)

How long has he been an adult?

What are the environmental conditions? Humidity? Temp?

How often and how much do you typically feed?


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

Synapze said:


> How long has he been an adult?
> 
> What are the environmental conditions? Humidity? Temp?
> 
> How often and how much do you typically feed?


He's been an adult now for maybe 5-6 days. It's pretty warm in my house, about 30°C. I spray him about once a day, I wouldn't be able to give you the exact percentage of humidity though. 

I try and feed him every other day, he usually rejects, but sometimes he will grab it. I'd say he eats almost every 5 days though, cause he just usually doesn't want to eat what I give him.


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## hysteresis (Jul 8, 2019)

If he's an adult, that's normal. They want one thing, and it ain't food.


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## Synapze (Jul 8, 2019)

30°C is kind of on the high side for this species. Around 24° I think is considered a good target. Keeping temperature consistently on the high side, and/or overfeeding, will speed up metabolism and can significantly shorten lifespan. Certainly doesn't seem like overfeeding.  

Lack of proper ventilation and high humidity are the biggest killers of this species, so you may want to buy a humidity meter. You can get a cheap meter for a free bucks. 

Good luck! I hope your guy improves. It could just be a fluke that this has happened to you twice.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> If he's an adult, that's normal. They want one thing, and it ain't food.


That's what someone said at work today good chance of that. Haha


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

Synapze said:


> 30°C is kind of on the high side for this species. Around 24° I think is considered a good target. Keeping temperature consistently on the high side, and/or overfeeding, will speed up metabolism and can significantly shorten lifespan. Certainly doesn't seem like overfeeding.
> 
> Lack of proper ventilation and high humidity are the biggest killers of this species, so you may want to buy a humidity meter. You can get a cheap meter for a free bucks.
> 
> Good luck! I hope your guy improves. It could just be a fluke that this has happened to you twice.


I'm not sure how I'd be able to drop my temperature. We are lacking money and are having an a/c problem in our apparently, so I'm not sure how I could get it lowered. I know there's good ventilation, but I'll definitely get a humidity meter and check that out. It just really confuses me that their fine until their adult. But what's a target humidity for them?


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## Synapze (Jul 8, 2019)

Mitch65009 said:


> But﻿﻿ what's a target humidity for them?﻿


Somewhere in the range of 40-60%.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

Synapze said:


> Somewhere in the range of 40-60%.


Okay great. I'll give that a check soon. For the mean time, what should I do to keep him alive? It really seems like he could be dying. Should I keep trying to feed him? Or just wait until he wants to take it in a few days.


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## Synapze (Jul 8, 2019)

I would offer him water and something to eat. If he refuses, try again tomorrow.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

To be honest, now he seems pretty much done..I tried to hand feed him a cricket. The cricket bit on the him, he fell over and Sayed like this. I picked him back up after, but he doesn't move whatsoever.


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## hysteresis (Jul 8, 2019)

Mitch65009 said:


> That's what someone said at work today good chance of that. Haha


No really. In my experience, adult males barely eat. Only when they're super hungry. If they eat too much, they cant curl their abdomen to mate.


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## hysteresis (Jul 8, 2019)

Ooooooh


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## Synapze (Jul 8, 2019)

So sorry.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

@hysteresis @Synapze do you guys think he's gonna pass soon??


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## hysteresis (Jul 8, 2019)

He looks done. He's laying on his side, right?


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

@hysteresis yeah, he was. I picked him up, so he's upright for now, but he just stays there. There's movement, but only when I pick him up.


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## hysteresis (Jul 8, 2019)

Mitch65009 said:


> @hysteresis yeah, he was. I picked him up, so he's upright for now, but he just stays there. There's movement, but only when I pick him up.


Unfortunately, he looks done. 

Sorry dude.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 8, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> Unfortunately, he looks done.
> 
> Sorry dude.


Damn man. Alright, thanks for the help. I'll keep y'all updated, but I definitely think you're right.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jul 9, 2019)

I'm sorry for your loss!

- MantisGirl13


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## 5Via (Jul 9, 2019)

So sorry for your loss, it seems males generally aren't much fun to keep once they mature.


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## hysteresis (Jul 9, 2019)

5Via said:


> So sorry for your loss, it seems males generally aren't much fun to keep once they mature.


Nope. Not at all. 

In fact, for me its all in the nymph instars.  I do look forward to my R. stalii and B. mendica as adults. And of course, my I. diabolica. 

I have an R. basalis pair that are adult and the male is 50/50. Sometimes he's fun, and sometimes he just wants to run away. He hasnt tried to fly yet. 

My ghost males are chickens and love to fly away. I chased after one last night and he doubled back and flew into my face unexpectedly. He spooked me so bad, even my palate was tingling!


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 9, 2019)

Is it normal for the abdomen to look like this? He's still alive, just hanging by a thread..but the last one I had who died had the same thing happen to their abdomen.


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## hysteresis (Jul 9, 2019)

The dark between the sternites is like a 'bladder' that is flexible and contains his innards. Looks normal. 

Give him honey water (just a little honey completely dissolved in) and leave him alone. Don't try to suspend him inverted. That takes energy. Maybe put down a sheet or two of TP and rest him on that. 

Grab something long and skinny and dip it into distilled water and place a small drop on his snout. Surface tension will help it stick to him, and if he's actually drinking, you'll see his mouth parts flagellating and the drop disappearing quickly.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 9, 2019)

@hysteresis I'm vegan, so I don't have honey. Lol, is it a important thing that could keep him alive? But I'll definitely try the rest right now. Thanks


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## hysteresis (Jul 9, 2019)

Mitch65009 said:


> @hysteresis I'm vegan, so I don't have honey. Lol, is it a important thing that could keep him alive? But I'll definitely try the rest right now. Thanks


Its a safe source of energy. Also has antiseptic properties that could benefit a mantis I suppose.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 9, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> Its a safe source of energy. Also has antiseptic properties that could benefit a mantis I suppose.


Oh man, I see. I can't get him to drink water though.


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## hysteresis (Jul 9, 2019)

Mitch65009 said:


> Oh man, I see. I can't get him to drink water though.


That makes for a very poor prognosis. Sorry dude.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 10, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> That makes for a very poor prognosis. Sorry dude.


Man..do you think he's suffering.?


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## hysteresis (Jul 10, 2019)

Is he still alive? I don't know that they even suffer.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 10, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> Is he still alive? I don't know that they even suffer.


Yeah, he's still alive. I just don't want him to be in pain, ya know.


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## Mantis Lady (Jul 10, 2019)

Aww, sad to read your male is doing bad. How is he now?


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 10, 2019)

Little Mantis said:


> Aww, sad to read your male is doing bad. How is he now?


He's still sitting there, just how I left him 2 days ago . If I touch him, he'll move his leg, but that's about it. Head down,no movement.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 10, 2019)

Well, I ripped a cricket in half today, and decided to see if he would eat. Well, he did! In a really weird way too, but he looked very satisfied so I was pretty happy to see he might last a little longer!


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## MantisGirl13 (Jul 11, 2019)

Great!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 11, 2019)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Great!
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Yeah, do you think it could be he is like this cause he was starving? He went very long without food, also, what do you suggest to feed crickets?


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## hysteresis (Jul 11, 2019)

I feed them purchased cricket chow. But they'll eat any veggie. There's controversy around feeding carrots to crix for mantis consumption so I avoid it.


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## Jaywo (Jul 11, 2019)

poor mantis. Glad he is starting to eat.


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## Mantis Lady (Jul 15, 2019)

I hope he recovered.


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## Mitch65009 (Jul 15, 2019)

Little Mantis said:


> I hope he recovered.


At the moment, he's still the same. He just sits there, all day, all night. I can get him to eat and drink easily now, so it's strange why he's still like this.


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## [email protected] (Aug 24, 2019)

I have Iris oratoria that are naturalized in the desert here in AZ.  No, male adults are not fun pets, unfortunately.  And it definately looked like your male is infected from his abdomen. One thing that I have learned is that after the first 2 weeks of male adulthood, the males cannot handle eating crickets, even if the crickets are healthy. Do your adults eat anything else?  First make sure the crickets are healthy.  If they are eating each other, have any black spots on them, or look like any of their limbs are paralyzed, then I would not feed them to your mantids.  Sometimes, the younger healthier mantids can survive eating a bad cricket, but not if they are infected with the cricket paralysis virus called _Acheta domesticus_ Densovirus (AdDNV).  Keep your crickets clean and as soon as they die remove the bodies, and their feces. 

I'm so sorry


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