# Unknown sickness - bubble on head?



## yen_saw

One of my L3 Indonesian double shield nymph was not doing well, i was surprised to see the head swelled up like a balloon. Obviously, the mantis didn't last very long. Anyone experience this before?


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## Hypoponera

WOW!!!

I have never seen that before! Did that happen quickly or over a prolonged time? Was there anything unusual about its head before it's last molt? Was there anything in the bubble like fluid or gas?

My guess is that it was some kind of bacterial infection.


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## OGIGA

Weirdest thing ever! How did the head inflate like that without bursting out of its mouth?


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## Rob Byatt

It looks like it was damaged during its last moult. Insects cannot repair tissue so unless the wound dries up, haemolymph will keep oozing out.

It's not an infection.

Rob


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## Rick

Nope, never had that one yen!


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## wuwu

wow, never seen that before.


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## robo mantis

Wow thats weird :?


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## yen_saw

Yea that was unfortunate  . But there's always first for everything. I have no idea about the cause, this one is due to molt in next few days, it could have been bitten by another nymph on the head I don't know. There is no liquid in the swallen head, just air/gas. I threw it away after taking the pic.


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## jmac27

I had it happen to a Chinese subadult a while ago. I don't know exactly what the cause is but it happened to me shortly after a moult.


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## colddigger

if it could eat, i would of kept, really cool looking

although it was probably painful...


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## Peekaboo

Wow Yen .... that's a new one all right. And I have no clue what could have caused that.


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## Morpheus uk

I can only think of 3 letters to sum up what i think of that and beggins with W,

Thats just weird!! havent a clue what could of caused it :?


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## Asa

My chinese got something like that. No idea what caused it.


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## Way.Of.The.Mantis

Woah crazy stuff..you sure you have'nt been trying to alter them with sinister chemicals and potions?  

How quickly did that bubble appear?


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## athicks

I feel sorry for the mantis... it must have been bacteria.


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## Asa

> I feel sorry for the mantis... it must have been bacteria.


Why do you think so :lol: 

It is sad.


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## randyardvark

just noticed that when crickets are bitten in certain places their fluid forms bubbles occasionly, if this was left to dry, then im assuming the clear liquid would turn dard and form a semi hardened ballon...maybe it had ruptured itself... just an idea to throw in with the usual 'its fungal/bacterial discussion'


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## Asa

> just noticed that when crickets are bitten in certain places their fluid forms bubbles occasionly, if this was left to dry, then im assuming the clear liquid would turn dard and form a semi hardened ballon...maybe it had ruptured itself... just an idea to throw in with the usual 'its fungal/bacterial discussion'


That seems to be the only explanation for everything. It's fungalizied. :lol:


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## Birdfly

Hi Yen, it looks to me like the head is completley gone and the large blob is gravity dragging the animals crop and guts out of the open wound. Thats how it looks to me.

If im right, were did its head go?


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## yen_saw

Gary, you are right, afraid i have no idea where the "actual" head had gone.


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## athicks

How long was it like this? I mean, mantids are close relatives of cockroaches and roaches can live without head for a week or so. Maybe your mantid was kind of dead already. Just living without a head. :shock:


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## OGIGA

Well, they only really need their head for seeing, eating, and whatever their antennas do. They have a nervous network rather than a central nervous system.


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## Asa

The mantis-zombie, :shock: .


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## Birdfly

I suspect what has happened is that this mantis was so close to ecdysis that it could not defend itself at all, another mantis has taken advantage of this and taken it apon itself to destroy this competator for food etc by eating the head, i dont understand why it didnt eat the whole animal, but a few species of mantis have been documented to just eat the head of a con specific, _Rhombodera _sp to name one?

:roll:


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## Asa

> I suspect what has happened is that this mantis was so close to ecdysis that it could not defend itself at all, another mantis has taken advantage of this and taken it apon itself to destroy this competator for food etc by eating the head, i dont understand why it didnt eat the whole animal, but a few species of mantis have been documented to just eat the head of a con specific, _Rhombodera _sp to name one?:roll:


Of course, we don't know for sure, it did eat the head.


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## yen_saw

> I suspect what has happened is that this mantis was so close to ecdysis that it could not defend itself at all, another mantis has taken advantage of this and taken it apon itself to destroy this competator for food etc by eating the head, i dont understand why it didnt eat the whole animal, but a few species of mantis have been documented to just eat the head of a con specific, _Rhombodera _sp to name one?:roll:


That could be right, there were a few more of this species in the same cage when i noticed the mantis-zombie as Asa said.


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## Birdfly

> I suspect what has happened is that this mantis was so close to ecdysis that it could not defend itself at all, another mantis has taken advantage of this and taken it apon itself to destroy this competator for food etc by eating the head, i dont understand why it didnt eat the whole animal, but a few species of mantis have been documented to just eat the head of a con specific, _Rhombodera _sp to name one?:roll:
> 
> 
> 
> Of course, we don't know for sure, it did eat the head.
Click to expand...

No no, your right, the culprit might still have the head in its fridge along with other victim body parts :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 8)


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## Asa

At that point, Birdfly :lol: .


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## Birdfly

Sorry Asa, i couldn't resist


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## Asa

:lol: 

I wonder.... :shock:


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## buddhistsoldier88

> It looks like it was damaged during its last moult. Insects cannot repair tissue so unless the wound dries up, haemolymph will keep oozing out.It's not an infection.
> 
> Rob


seems reasonable to me...though ive had no exp in the mantid field.....


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## hibiscusmile

> I suspect what has happened is that this mantis was so close to ecdysis that it could not defend itself at all, another mantis has taken advantage of this and taken it apon itself to destroy this competator for food etc by eating the head, i dont understand why it didnt eat the whole animal, but a few species of mantis have been documented to just eat the head of a con specific, _Rhombodera _sp to name one?:roll:
> 
> 
> 
> Of course, we don't know for sure, it did eat the head.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> No no, your right, the culprit might still have the head in its fridge along with other victim body parts :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 8)
Click to expand...

jeffery dalmer is dead, so must be someone else! :lol:


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