# Mantis has psychedellic experience!



## cloud jaguar (May 18, 2009)

I have a beautiful pale s. limbata female that i really like. I had a pretty bad scare for her health lately. Last Wednesday I found a fat green caterpillar on an Azalea bush in the front yard. I eagerly plucked the tender morsel and flicked it into the net cage of the mantis. The next day (Thursday) the mantis was fat and there were many caterpillar poops in the enclosure but no sign of mr. caterpillar.

On Friday I noticed that the mantis was very ill and dangling from the fake roses and foliage in her net. She was hanging awkwardly only with her front raptorial arms and her body dangled helplessly. I was pretty bummed since I lost another awesome mantis recently. I tried to hold her and she could barely move from weakness. I gave her a bit of water and also some honey. On Saturday I was sure she was a goner. She pretty much just lay there with one of her rear legs twitching and feebly grasping at the foliage in her enclosure. I had an urge to just put her outside to die in the spring sun but somehow my covetous nature overcame this inclination and I just left her in the net.

On Sunday she was back dangling at the top of her net! She seemed alert and perky! I trapped a couple of flies (see my fly trap post) and flicked them into her net. She greedily ate them like candy corn. Today she nibbled on a cricket.

We use no pesticides in our front yard or rear yard. I can only surmise that the caterpillar or the Azalea perhaps had some toxin which affected her so. She was in a state of profound petrefaction for fully two days, then, as if touched by the hand of the great mantis goddess Herself*, hallowed be Her name, she was alive and well. Oh, what a long strange trip its been! but by and by, I do believe ms. mantis will survive!

*She to which Phil always refers in supplication


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## Katnapper (May 19, 2009)

Whew... that's great that she's coming out of it and getting better!!! It seems that might be a good guess about the toxins in the caterpillar causing her trouble. I have no idea if certain caterpillars have toxins that could cause effects like this... but it makes sense and seems logical to me.  I hope she completely recovers!

What did the caterpillar look like? Any distinguishing markings or features? Have you tried to identify it since? I'm just curious....


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## PhilinYuma (May 19, 2009)

Arkanis said:


> I have a beautiful pale s. limbata female that i really like. I had a pretty bad scare for her health lately....On Sunday she was back dangling at the top of her net! She seemed alert and perky! I trapped a couple of flies (see my fly trap post) and flicked them into her net. She greedily ate them like candy corn. Today she nibbled on a cricket.
> 
> We use no pesticides in our front yard or rear yard. I can only surmise that the caterpillar or the Azalea perhaps had some toxin which affected her so. She was in a state of profound petrefaction for fully two days, then, as if touched by the hand of the great mantis goddess Herself*, hallowed be Her name, she was alive and well. Oh, what a long strange trip its been! but by and by, I do believe ms. mantis will survive!
> 
> *She to which Phil always refers in supplication


Never underestimate the power of the Great Mantis Goddess (Blessed be Her Name)!

And remember, True Believers, if you don't have a shrine of your own, I am always prepared to light a candle, Free of Charge, for a Worthy Cause!


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## cloud jaguar (May 19, 2009)

The caterpillar was about an inch and a half long, bright green with no markings. I was sitting on the Azalea plant and eating it. Today I went back to where I found it and noted that the leaf was well eaten by it.

I dont know anything about caterpillars and do not know what creature (moth or butterfly) it belonged to. But judging from the eaten plant, it is safe to assume it liked eating Azaleas.

UPDATE!

i just Googled "Azalea" and it is highly toxic and may be fatal if consumed, especially to pets! That explains that, i guess  As the caterpillar consumed the Azalea, its innards became a toxic soup of doom, which was greedily sucked up by the hapless mantis!



Katnapper said:


> What did the caterpillar look like? Any distinguishing markings or features? Have you tried to identify it since? I'm just curious....


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## AmandaLynn (May 19, 2009)

That's great that she recovered! Rhodedendrons are also toxic. I feed my nymphs little green caterpillars too but have never given any thought about what the caterpillar has been eating, I will now though!


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## superfreak (May 19, 2009)

how disappointing! i thought you fed your mantid a tab or something, lol!


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## hibiscusmile (May 19, 2009)

I cant believe it survived! That is good knowlege for those of us who eagerly will use the freezer, thanks Martin!


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## revmdn (May 19, 2009)

Arkanis, I just hope some of our members don't start eating caterpillars for a psychedellic trip. :lol:


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## Rick (May 19, 2009)

They normally know what is edible after the first bite. If there is a toxin they should just drop it.


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## jameslongo (May 19, 2009)

Rick said:


> They normally know what is edible after the first bite. If there is a toxin they should just drop it.


Perhaps it the mantis ate the caterpillar intentionally. It was getting bored in its enclosure &amp; just wanted to hang about and enjoy the colours :blink:


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## matt020593 (May 19, 2009)

Trippin' out! Haha


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## idolomantis (May 19, 2009)

wait... now i understand a post phil made in some other topic O.O


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## kamakiri (May 21, 2009)

Great news and thanks for sharing.


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## asdsdf (May 21, 2009)

> The caterpillar was about an inch and a half long, bright green with no markings. *I was sitting on the Azalea plant and eating it.* Today I went back to where I found it and noted that the leaf was well eaten by it.


Congrats on the recovery!

Am I the only one who noticed this?


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## nasty bugger (May 22, 2009)

Good to know what to look out for. Now, can you pass the azalea's... Maybe 25 years ago, but today I'll just stick to looking at them, and reminicing


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