# shot from the abdomen - WTF was it



## spadgee

My mantid shoots a wad out of his abdomen.

What was it?

A little pee or some type of defense?

Yikes


----------



## Rick

Was it a small dark little round ball? If so it is mantis poop.


----------



## spadgee

I've seen the poop.

This was a projectile white wad. Most have gone 2-3 feet. Same size as a poop.

I had the Giant Indian L4 on my hand when he did it.


----------



## Rick

Sometimes when they are "sick" they shoot a liqued or runny poop out.


----------



## nympho

I think its just excess liquid from food. my idolos and grandis both did it and both were completely healthy.

what happens if they eat to capacity is swell up with the food. they then extract the excess liquid with their kidney type organs (dunno what their called) and squirt it out and go thinner. they dont do it that often why its easy to miss. if mantids are eating every day they dont need all the water they are getting because they are so extremely well adaped for conserving any moisture.


----------



## Rick

When mine were sick they looked normal too except for the stuff squirting out of them. It kept getting worse until they died. I've had that problem from time to time.


----------



## julian camilo

i had this with p.wahlbergii, but they got to adulthood and mated and lived normal lives, so they werent exactly unhealthy. at the time i thought it was just normal, until i found this place and read some discussions about it. anyway, in my case it wasn't life threatening.


----------



## Ian

Could well be a spermatophore, a small, white sack of sperm the males release as adult.

Do you know what sex the mantis was?


----------



## spadgee

I don't think it was sperm because he is only an L4.


----------



## Mantis Keeper

I've seen mantids do this too, I have a post somewhere about it possibly being a defense mechanism but I've only seen nymphs do it. Also everyone who posted has having seen it here mentioned that their mantids were nymphs. Has anyone seen an adult do this? Maybe it is a defense mechanism to startle predators so the mantis can flee.


----------



## Joe

every european mantis i've caught and seen do this and its a clear liquid i guess its either pee or its just cleaning out its rectum or something cause otherwise all my mantids would be sick

Joe


----------



## ABbuggin

I have seen it mainly with chinese and some deadleaf and spiny flower. It could possibly be peeing? When ever I see it happen it goes about 6"-12" :wink:

AB


----------



## Ian

Yea, I have seen it a LOT in the Pseudocreobotra. I also found occasionally it with the Sphodromantis Rubrastigmata...


----------



## xenuwantsyou

My chinese did it the other day and the projectile landed on the side of the terrarium. It was definitely pee.


----------



## Skinnylegs

one of my africans did this and died 2 days after


----------



## Rick

It doesn't always mean they're sick either.


----------

