# Found a dying mantis outside



## Bugmankeith (Oct 16, 2014)

Appears to be chinese mantis. It was laying flat on the ground motionless eyes dark black. I picked it up and saw its antennae and mouth move but otherwise nothing. I brought it home and tried hand feeding it can o crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, small amount of beef baby food, and misting with water and dropping water in its mouth. It ate and drank weakly. A few hours later it seemed to try and move with heavy breathing and started shaking I thought it was dying there. I checked on it again and it pooped and is climbing around the cage and attacked and bit my finger! Clearly it's looking almost normal and abdomen is fatter I guess from the food I fed. It's October and except these past 2 days which had upper 70s which is abnormal high for New York now usually it's been 60s and 50s out. Should I let it go or keep it and keep feeding it? I can't tell what gender it is.


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## happy1892 (Oct 16, 2014)

It is probably female this late in the year. It would have needed to be much lower than 70F to make the Chinese mantis slow. I forget exactly what temperature of one of my T. sinensis females was in when she dropped to the ground when I kept her outside (She came back to life when I brought her inside).


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 16, 2014)

I'm pretty sure if female she layed ootheca and was dying of weakness/starvation it was stick thin. We did have it in the 40s 2 days ago so the mantis had to be stressed.

If female is it possible she could lay another ootheca or once they are finished they don't lay anymore?

The weather is in low 60s pouring rain and in 2 days is going in 50s.


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 16, 2014)

I checked it is female.

I wanted to release her if she can lay more eggs. If she cannot lay more eggs than perhaps keeping Her might be better.


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## Ntsees (Oct 16, 2014)

Its the time of year for them to start dying due to the cold. If you keep it inside and feed it, assuming it has recovered, you can squeeze another ooth or two from it. But it's a naturalized exotic so it doesn't really matter.


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 16, 2014)

Ntsees said:


> Its the time of year for them to start dying due to the cold. If you keep it inside and feed it, assuming it has recovered, you can squeeze another ooth or two from it. But it's a naturalized exotic so it doesn't really matter.


I am thinking of keeping her, but how do I setup a cage, and how do I get her to lay ootheca on branches I put in (that way I can tie them outside in bushes). Do I mist cage with water for a drink? She has ability to hunt but so far all I can do is hand feed her she isn't trying to catch prey I gave small crickets.


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## happy1892 (Oct 16, 2014)

She might be too weak from lack of food to eat and live much longer.


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 16, 2014)

happy1892 said:


> She might be too weak from lack of food to eat and live much longer.


She eats, but by hand feeding. She is active just refuses to hunt could be not used to captivity.

Her poo is liquid now due to the can food having lots of liquid, that's why I need her to eat live prey to normalize it.


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## Danny. (Oct 16, 2014)

Release her...


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 17, 2014)

Danny. said:


> Release her...


So the cold kills her?


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 17, 2014)

I decided to let her go. Next two days turned out to be nice weather and the bugs are out everywhere. I released her in a shrub that is infested with scale insects and is a hot spot for ootheca laying. It attracts flies and yellow jackets due to sweet secretions from scale insects. It gets direct afternoon sun too. Within minutes of release she caught and ate 2 yellow jackets and was working on a 3rd, I'm hoping she'll lay eggs in my shrub she is fat now! Will post photos later I wish her good luck!


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 19, 2014)

Here are photos on her release day, I saw her today (day after) still eating bugs.


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## happy1892 (Oct 19, 2014)

Wow, she looks healthy in the pictures.


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 20, 2014)

I hope she survived the night I didn't see her yesterday and last night we had a freak cold snap 38F if she made it she should be ok next week or so won't be too cold.


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## Bugmankeith (Oct 21, 2014)

Bugmankeith said:


> I hope she survived the night I didn't see her yesterday and last night we had a freak cold snap 38F if she made it she should be ok next week or so won't be too cold.


After two days I found her she is just fine


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## [email protected] (Oct 24, 2014)

She is so beautiful!!!!


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## dmina (Oct 24, 2014)

Great.. thanks for the update


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## Rick (Oct 25, 2014)

Yes, they die naturally this time of year. They usually hang around until the first frost.


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## Bugmankeith (Nov 6, 2014)

I saw her today still quite plump! We had frost and even snow flurries few days ago and at night it was 34F! But during the day we still get bugs so apparently she is catching food. I wish she would lay another ootheca before the real cold comes. She is the oldest wild mantis I've ever seen!


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## CosbyArt (Nov 6, 2014)

Wonderful story and photos, she looks great. Sounds like a experience you will have fond memories of, minus her biting you.  

It's your choice, but I'd bring her inside permanently to avoid a cold death, and share more time together.


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## LAME (Nov 6, 2014)

I'd have to agree with CosbyArt, I too would've kept her indoors for the winter.


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## Bugmankeith (Nov 8, 2014)

Last I saw her she was slowing down, and when she was captive before she wouldn't hunt live prey so I would have to hand feed which is harder than it sounds. She left her spot and I haven't seen her so either she died or found a better place.


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## [email protected] (Nov 9, 2014)

Yeah, I would bring her in. That's how I started with my mantids. I saved 2 from the cold last year and they laid A LOT of eggs! I didn't have any cages so I put them on my plants and fed them crickets and put some sticks in the plant soil for them to lay eggs. They stayed on the plants and I had no trouble with my cats! At least this way, you could get at least 1 ooth from her, and then could can watch them hatch next year! (I don't know, but if it is that cold she might die before laying eggs?)


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## Bugmankeith (Feb 22, 2015)

Not sure if I updated, but since my last post in November I had brought her in and kept her she ate just fine.

Today she passed away from old age, she was in my care for 4 months as an adult and laid 5 ootheca which are outside so they hatch in summer to continue her legacy. So let's say she hatched in June 2014, that made her total lifespan almost 9 months, keep in mind her entire life was lived outside up until November so that's damn good to live an additional 4 months plus surviving the cold weather she endured until I brought her in, plus lay 5 more ootheca, who knows how many she laid before November!

She will be missed but at least she lived a full, long life.


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## dmina (Feb 22, 2015)

Yes she did...and I am sure she really enjoyed the indoor part... that is nice you will have her nymphs around... Sorry for your loss.... we tend to get attached.


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## CosbyArt (Feb 23, 2015)

Glad to see you did bring her in.  

Amazing she made it to February, she had a new lease on life for sure. Congrats on the ooths and the friend, I bet those were some of her happiest days. Do you plan on keeping any of her nymphs?


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## Bugmankeith (Feb 24, 2015)

CosbyArt said:


> Glad to see you did bring her in.
> 
> Amazing she made it to February, she had a new lease on life for sure. Congrats on the ooths and the friend, I bet those were some of her happiest days. Do you plan on keeping any of her nymphs?


I have tried keeping nymphs and they didn't do to well I ended up letting them go, so I'm going to have the nymphs stay wild but I'm sure I will see them around my property!


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## CosbyArt (Feb 24, 2015)

Bugmankeith said:


> I have tried keeping nymphs and they didn't do to well I ended up letting them go, so I'm going to have the nymphs stay wild but I'm sure I will see them around my property!


I know what you mean it can be hit or miss on raising them. I bet you will see plenty around your property.


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