# Quite urgent help needed



## Stuart89 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ok heres a brief synopsis... I recently bought 3 pnigomantids, the all arrived a little bit late because of the post office fault. On inspection all 3 seemed fine. When I took them upstairs to put them into their proper cups/homes, one of them looked very sickly, it wasnt supporting its own weight, both back legs crossed like an X and it wouldnt feed or take water.. I left it for that day while I went to work and came home to find it lying down dead.

The other 2 pngios were fine, both fed and both drank droplets. I just went upstairs to feed them and seen one of the pnigos not on the top of the cup, looking down I seen him on the substrate not moving. I opened the cup, still nothing not even his head turning to look at me. I took the substrate out with him on it (cotton wool) and he still hasnt moved. I believe he is dead tbh, one leg is folded like the doa's was.

Does anybody know/ have any idea what this could be? Were they meant to die or is it something Im doing wrong?

I will be closly inspecting the final pnigo to see what happens with him.

Pics:

The first one, on arrival:







When I came home:






The second one:






Edit: I dont know why that last picture is playing up, it appears full on my photobucket: PHOTOBUCKET

Ideas?

Stuart.


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## chrisboy101 (Apr 8, 2008)

doubt it was your fault mate, they might have still been abit unstable with the journey and since their nymphs they are much weaker.


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## Rick (Apr 8, 2008)

Probably were in shipment too long or got too hot or too cold. It happens.


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## asdsdf (Apr 8, 2008)

One case of someone I knew, he wasn't there to sign for the package, so he got it the next day. Out of the 25, he got 19 of them. A couple of days after that, all but around 10 died. It was most probably the cold, since it was freezing.


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## Rob Byatt (Apr 9, 2008)

Stuart89 said:


> I just went upstairs to feed them and seen one of the pnigos not on the top of the cup, looking down I seen him on the substrate not moving. I opened the cup....


I've just noticed something - in the above sentance you refer to a 'cup'. By this I oreume you mean a tub with a tight fitting lid ?

All mantids need good ventilation and though it is probably not the case this time, poor ventilation can lead to death.

I don't believe it was the cold that harmed them.


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## Stuart89 (Apr 9, 2008)

Rob Byatt said:


> I've just noticed something - in the above sentance you refer to a 'cup'. By this I oreume you mean a tub with a tight fitting lid ?All mantids need good ventilation and though it is probably not the case this time, poor ventilation can lead to death.
> 
> I don't believe it was the cold that harmed them.


Hey, yeh its a cup but I have modified them myself to allow for the ventilation. Got fed up with taking the elastic bands and netting on and off all the time, became tedious. Heres a pic of one:






I cut the inside of the lid out leaving me with the frame and hot glue gunned the netting over the top of the frame.


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## MantidLord (Apr 9, 2008)

could it be the glue?


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## Stuart89 (Apr 10, 2008)

MantidLord said:


> could it be the glue?


Nah, I made sure the glue is non-toxic, and all 9 of my other mantids (including the final pnigo) are doing fine in them :blink:


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## mr nick (Apr 12, 2008)

Wherever possible i try and not use adhesive of any kind other than aquarium sealant which is totally safe,i prefer to use insect screen over my nymph cups,trapped in place by the lid. I think the cause maybe dehydration as poly cups do tend to be overly dry,i personally mist nymphs lightly as soon as i get them and they always drink heavily. This seems to be the case with all invertebrates that travel via a postal/delivery method especially scorpions.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 12, 2008)

I use the silicone too, I just hate the drying time, so have switched to the glue gun.


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