# Pseudocreobotra Wahlbergii fungal infection?



## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

My L7 Pseudocreobotra Wahlbergii arrived today and is eating very well!  

But it's front feet are small stumps and it seems to have a fungal infection on the top of its head.  

The 'fungus' is right in-between the spikes on it's head and looks like black soil.

I'm trying to keep the humidity about 30-40% to 'kill off' the fungus.

Anything else I can do?


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## Termite48 (May 2, 2012)

If you are very careful with a cotton swab, you can touch the area with a dab of bleach on the end of the swab. I would do this as a last resort because of the caustic nature of bleach. To be more careful, you can dilute the bleach 1:1 with pure water. You can use your water sprayer as a fire extinguisher to dilute the area if there is no other way. That means that diluted bleach will be spreading all over. I have used this method before in fish, not with mantids, so please know I make this suggestion based on general knowledge not experience with this exact application.


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

The fungus doesn't look very 'well stuck', it just looks like a strange muddy mixture with bits falling off.

I was thinking, would it be a good idea to blast it with air to try to blow it off?


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## agent A (May 2, 2012)

can we see a pic to be sure it's not natural coloration?


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

I'm just finishing uploading a YouTube video of it. I'll put on here when it's up.


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

Here it is:


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## agent A (May 2, 2012)

yikes!  

looks like it wuz attacked by another mantis


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

Why do you say that?


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## agent A (May 2, 2012)

looks like another mantis bit it in the front of the head


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

but the spines are all still there. If it was a bite mark, surely the other mantis would have bit the spines before the head underneath. :blink:


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## gripen (May 2, 2012)

Oh whoops yeah it looks like fungus.


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## Andyfrog321 (May 2, 2012)

Has anyone else has a fungus problem?

How can I get rid of it?


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## twolfe (May 2, 2012)

Are you in the US?

Did you check with the breeder? After it poops, does it stain the substrate purple? It's easier to tell if you are using a paper towel for substrate. Or is it vomiting?

Fortunately I haven't had much experience with infections. I'm not an expert, but I have been raising p wahlbergii for nine months, and I have never seen that on a nymph. I fed a waxworm to an adult last month, and she stopped eating and developed a black spot on her head like your nymph. She eventually died. She molted to an adult 6 months earlier. So, she was older.

It's a good sign that yours has an appetite and is eating. I'm not sure what else you can do other than keeping it dry for a few days and providing a clean, well ventilated enclosure and perhaps a little sunshine? Be careful about putting plastic enclosures in the sun...

Keep us posted, and good luck.


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## CoolMantid (May 2, 2012)

If he/she continues to eat it will be fine, hopefully. My orchid has a small bacterial infection on her leg. She knawed off part of it but she still eats so its fine.


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## mkayum (May 2, 2012)

Hope she's okay! I never seen anything like that. Maybe it was not properly cared by the breeder.

Interesting video..


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## Andyfrog321 (May 7, 2012)

It's still eating and the fungus hasn't got any bigger.

But It has vomited.  

I've had some of my other mantids vomit before and they were fine so I'm not sure if it's serious.

If it moults to adult do you think it would lose the fungus on it's head?


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## agent A (May 7, 2012)

a few of mine vomit all the time

perhaps it isnt a good idea to load L5s up with hfs


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## Andyfrog321 (May 7, 2012)

hfs?


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## agent A (May 7, 2012)

Andyfrog321 said:


> hfs?


houseflies


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## Andyfrog321 (May 7, 2012)

oh right


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## aNisip (May 15, 2012)

Hey Andy, well Carey from mantispets has a great product for this. It is called Silver Spray (Sanitizing Spray) a

I wouldnd the description says...“...antifungal, antibacterial, and antimold...” it is at the bottom of this page....

http://www.mantispets.com/mantis-supplies.html I would love to get my hands on some cause it sounds very useful and reliable, but getting in contact with Carey wont hurt... Hope this helps!


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## aNisip (May 15, 2012)

sorry, the quote is ''...antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial.”


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## aNisip (May 15, 2012)

Again sorry, one more change... It is called Silver Spray (Sanitizing Spray) and the description says* (I mis-typed)


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## brancsikia339 (May 16, 2012)

You should try as hard as you can to remove it. It's definitely a fungus


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## Andyfrog321 (May 17, 2012)

So this spray is safe for mantids right?


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## maybon (May 17, 2012)

Andyfrog321 said:


> So this spray is safe for mantids right?


That is how it is advertised and I would expect it to have been tested to be so, Carey is very reliable and you can check this in the feedback section. I would get it or try other methods to try and remove the fungus myself. It does look kind of nasty and it may prevent molting (guess) as it could be attached inside of the exoskeleton not just on the outside and if this is the case it could make it hard for the mantis to get its head out.


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## Andyfrog321 (May 17, 2012)

K, I'll buy it soon as I can.

The fungus looks like it's got very slightly smaller.

I've tried low humidity, not letting any water on it's head and I even tried picking it off with a needle but it was too hard to move.

Hope the spray works.


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## Zedrael (May 17, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the fungus, but she's absolutely gorgeous! I hope everything goes well, keep us posted!


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## Andyfrog321 (May 19, 2012)

How long would it take to ship to the UK?


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## CoolMantid (May 19, 2012)

Priority-3-4 weeks

Express about 1 week I would guesss


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## Andyfrog321 (May 22, 2012)

Ok, so after a bit of a confusion I've found out that the shipping is $17 and it won't come for a while.

The mantis is going to molt sometime in the next week or two.

Wondering if I should get it and hope it comes a while before it molts, or not get it and hope that the fungus comes off in the molt.


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## Andyfrog321 (May 23, 2012)

I don't think I'll get it.


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## aNisip (May 24, 2012)

If the fungus is still their next molt (if it survives) then yiu shiuld get the spray. Just saying, cause I dont see any other 'tactict'

All the best,

Andrew


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## Andyfrog321 (May 25, 2012)

Ok, I'll do that.

I'll keep you posted.


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## Andyfrog321 (Jun 17, 2012)

GOOD NEWS!!! :clap: 

2 days ago I managed to gently pick off about 80% of the fungus. (I think the fungus died?)

Yesterday it looked like it was ready to moult so sprayed the enclosure floor to get the humidity up.

In the evening I saw it half way through moulting and it looked great. This morning it has no signs of fungus and looks awesome!!!

Pictures up soon!


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## CoolMantid (Jun 17, 2012)

A Happy Ending! Please post pics


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## Andyfrog321 (Jun 18, 2012)

One of it's tarsi on it's right 'arm' hasn't grown back and is still a stump. But I'll just give it lots of nice twigs to grip on to.  

Photos will be up today/tomorrow!


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## MandellaMandy123 (Jul 5, 2012)

Hooray! I'm glad it's okay now  What a beautiful mantid!


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