# They bleed RED?!



## keri (May 8, 2010)

So I had an L1 nymph mis-molt quite badly tonight, all of his back legs were beyond help so I very quickly put him out of his misery between 2 pieces of paper towel and when I looked he had "bled out" red! Is this normal? I have never squished one before. Poor little thing.


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## Rick (May 8, 2010)

No, I believe it is green. However, when a very small one is crushed they do look red.


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## hibiscusmile (May 8, 2010)

humm, dont know, I have seen it too, but I guess it could be poo


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## Colorcham427 (May 8, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> humm, dont know, I have seen it too, but I guess it could be poo


aww sorry to hear that. That is weird, it is also weird because everytime I squish a looose fruit fly, they bleed red too!


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## ismart (May 8, 2010)

They bleed green. What you probably saw was smashed guts, and


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## Rick (May 8, 2010)

ismart said:


> They bleed green. What you probably saw was smashed guts, and


And the composition of the "blood" is not the same as a mammals. As we said, it is clear or green/yellow.


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## PhilinYuma (May 8, 2010)

Now when you squish a female mosquito, you really will see red blood. It may even look familiar!


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## keri (May 9, 2010)

I think it must have been the remains of his last fruit fly meal.

I have another nymph that was moulting from L2-L3 and had a bad molt, he is very hunched over with some disfigured legs. He seems to be able to very awkwardly get around so I have put him in another container with a cardboard "ladder" for him to hang out on and gave him some catfood, which he ate. I know it's not ideal but I feel bad for him, I was so worried about mold that I guess it wasn't humid enough and I feel terrible. He did eat the cat food with gusto tho, has anyone ever successfully nursed a disfigured nymph thru till the next shed cycle?


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## Mr.Mantid (May 11, 2010)

Keri said:


> So I had an L1 nymph mis-molt quite badly tonight, all of his back legs were beyond help so I very quickly put him out of his misery between 2 pieces of paper towel and when I looked he had "bled out" red! Is this normal? I have never squished one before. Poor little thing.


I always thought they bled out sugar and sunshine dust. MMmmm.... Mantis cookies....


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## keri (May 11, 2010)

It's still alive as of tonight, I've been feeding it catfood and pre-killed fruit flies a couple times a day....It likes the catfood but eats very little of the FF's! Weird. I don't have much hope it'll make it, it's pretty messed up but it doesn't hurt to try.


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## hibiscusmile (May 11, 2010)

I always try too, I dont know about the cat food, I do know Phil is crazy :tt2: and that u should keep an eye open for the cat!


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## sk8erkho (May 11, 2010)

I have nursed many mantids, even helped them out of their skin with a needle, mister,and a magnifying glass!!! But i must say when they are hunched from drying out in that position I couldn't say. But...I would keep feeding him and see if the next molt could possible fix him. I really doubt it but you never know. if u have the time go for it.! Give them plenty of headroom for molting mine curled up due to inexperience back then they did not have enough room or there was something in the tank which hindered the molt so...


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## keri (May 12, 2010)

sk8erkho said:


> I have nursed many mantids, even helped them out of their skin with a needle, mister,and a magnifying glass!!! But i must say when they are hunched from drying out in that position I couldn't say. But...I would keep feeding him and see if the next molt could possible fix him. I really doubt it but you never know. if u have the time go for it.! Give them plenty of headroom for molting mine curled up due to inexperience back then they did not have enough room or there was something in the tank which hindered the molt so...


Thanks  I am keeping the 1" long nymphs in tall take-out smoothie-cups (the clear kind with domed lids) so I think there was room but maybe not enough humidity. He's still alive tonight, tries very feebly to catch FFs but doesn't like them served to him, just likes the catfood. It can't be good but at least it's something.

edit: I put a twig or two in there for them but they seem to like to attach to the slippery plastic wall half the time to moult too, is that normal?


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## keri (May 23, 2010)

SUCCESS!!!!!  :lol: 

"Cripplemantis" molted with a straight back and good raptoral arms. His one back leg is still a half-length nub but that's ok, he gets around just fine and is able to hunt! Feeding catfood 3x a day finally paid off! Oh I'm happy  (Yeah, I'll be keeping this one for sure! lol) :clap:


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## keri (Jun 2, 2010)

Another molt and this time cripplemantis is Perfect!! *pleased*


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## Woodbox (Jun 2, 2010)

Congratulations. I have read/heard good things about cat food. What brand did yours prefer???

I had read about feeding wet cat food to mantids all the time.

I think cat food is limited to injured mantids. I tried to feed it to my healthy ones but they wont sit still for it. If Im lucky, and I catch them right after cleaning, Im able to get them to eat some but it's just too much work.


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## keri (Jun 3, 2010)

Woodbox said:


> Congratulations. I have read/heard good things about cat food. What brand did yours prefer???
> 
> I had read about feeding wet cat food to mantids all the time.
> 
> I think cat food is limited to injured mantids. I tried to feed it to my healthy ones but they wont sit still for it. If Im lucky, and I catch them right after cleaning, Im able to get them to eat some but it's just too much work.


I was using purina OM for the most part (obesity management) I was using it for my 24lb cat but I found it just gave him horrendously stinky poo lol -

I wouldn't recommend it for long term use (it just can't have the same stuff as bugs lol) but it was either that or starve and it served the purpose just fine! I found I had to "menace" him with the toothpick to get him to "bite" it and when he did he would begin eating, and as time passed he began to recognize it and take it right away.


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