# Idolomantis deaths o_O



## Ian

I suppose, in a way this one is a little like jons query...

I have a load of L4 idolomantis, all of which are currently in crickets tubs, with moss at the bottom, and mesh hanging down the middle, which they pretty much spend their lives on. However, I noticed today, about 5 of them, we sitting like they normally do...with their abdomens just hanging vertically. One of which had done the same, and I found on the bottom of the tub, almost yellow..and stinking horrendous. Bearing in mind it must have died last night, and is now what...5pm, I have never known something to poduce a stench in such a short time, and a colour like that.

If there are any suggestions as to what it may be...I would be interested.

I do not want to loose all my idolomantis!

Thanks in advance,

Ian


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## Joe

i've had an orchid mantis die like this it seemed to have been rotting from the inside out, mostlikely its what is was eating since if its about to throw up, but it doesnt, and the puke stays in the prothorax, it can digest the mantis from the inside out, i know this since the orchid mantis is sorta see through and i saw, for a few days, its puke staying in its pro-thorax. I hope the rest of your idolos make it ian!

Joe


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## Samzo

that would be devistating if all your idolo cought it! Lets hope not! Damn crickets mess everything up :twisted:


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## Ian

Yeah joe...thats interesting, makes sense. Well, I think I will try them on new crickets and flies, and see how they get on. I will keep you posted.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Rick

Read my post about the problem I've had.


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## Ian

okay, have lost 3 L6 idolomantis today  







This is what they all resulted in.

Cheers,

Ian


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## ellroy

Blimey Ian, thats really bad. What have you tried changing? New food source? Disinfecting all the tubs. Checking temps and humidity?

Is it just the idolos?

Alan


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## Ian

Yeah, I put them all in new housing, since the last deaths, and for a short perid, all seemed to be okay. I bought flies from the tackle shop, and was feeding them those. Kept at around 31c, in the day, adn spraying every other day.

I dont know what went wrong..

Na, none of the other species has it happened to at all.

Oh well...that was my plan to mate that apri down the drain :roll:

Cheers,

Ian


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## ellroy

Mine are starting to shed to L6 now so I'll have to keep an eye on them....maybe theres some aspect of their care requirements that we don't know about yet? Something that kicks in later in their life cycle?? Fingers crossed!

Alan


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## yen_saw

Awww bummer Ian  Did the black spot just show up overnight? Is too bad it affected such an amazing species. It happened to my S. Lineola nymphs before, the nymphs usually die before the black mark grow over the entire body. Food was the reason for my case. Although i fed the same food to other mantis speices but the sickness only show up on certain species, make me wonder if certain bacteria affected only certain mantis species.


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## Ian

Yeah, pretty much yen. Hadnt noticed it the day before. Luckily all my other L4/5s are okay, I sure hope they dont get the same thing. Yeah, maybe, although I think idolomantis are in a totally different group to sphods...empusids arent they?

Cheers,

Ian


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## francisco

Hello Ian,

I would lower the humidity,since higher humidity tends to create a perfect environment for bacteria, specialy in the arms and mouth.

I used to spray my nymphs only once, every 3 days, the substrate was humid at around 40-50% and temp of 75-80, sometimes 85 F.

regards

FT


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## Ian

okay fransico, il try that. I have moved all of my small idolos into a large net, as I had split them up, when they had turned L3. They seem to be doing fine in there, and there is obviously a more ariated environment for them as well.

Cheers,

Ian


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## nickyp0

ouch that looks like it hurts. is there any way to treat them or is it like a death sentence?


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## Ian

I dunno...death sentence I would imagine  

Cheers,

Ian


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## Joe

Have you seen or suspected any feeders u have feeding to the idolos of them eating any egg carton or any other material? i've always had mantids throwing up after eating feeders tht have been eating eggcarton, toiletpaper/papertowel tubes, screen, foam xardboard and even plastic. but now i have all the crickets well fed so they stop eating this stuff lol.

Joe


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## ellroy

Any updates on your Idolos Ian?


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## Ian

yeah, they all seem to be okay now. I moved them into a large net, which I am thinking might have made the difference.

I know some species need realy ariated conditions...maybe that is so with the idolomantis  

Cheers,

Ian


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## nympho

hi Ian

I have 2 idolos that i got from you. They are doing very well and have just become level 6. although both are males, one has gone brown and is quite a bit bigger and stronger than the other which has kept the pale colour. Do they have 2 moults left, as i have heard, or more? I was wondering as they are not all that big yet.

my theory about your deaths is the humidity was two high and putting them in nets has dried the air out - mine have only been sprayed with water once with no problems with shedding (like my other mantids) and they are in a not at all well ventilated glass vivarium with heat mat. in fact they never seem to want to drink at all even when given water - i think they get all they want from their food - in this case blue-bottles. IMO its dry conditions they need, not ventilation so much. Although rain forest mantids like orchid mantids need humidity others like african mantis seem to prefer it dry, it depends on where they come from - most are from dry places like east africa. Ive never understood the advice on high humidity for all mantises, it just encourages bacteria, death etc :wink:


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