# Mantis drops dead while eating a moth



## padkison

My daughter was catching bugs from our garden to feed the mantids. She fed one of our adult female Carolinas a moth. The mantis ate about 1/2 the wings and then suddenly dropped dead. She was fine up until then.

What gives?


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## Rick

Thats strange. Can't say I've ever seen something like that.


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## worldofmantis

wow.... dont know if this is even close to correct but its the only thing i can think of. is it possible that it had bug killer or something on it?


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## mantidman

heart attack?


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## Rick

> wow.... dont know if this is even close to correct but its the only thing i can think of. is it possible that it had bug killer or something on it?


Kinda what I was thinking too.


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## Johnald Chaffinch

one of my Phyllocrania paradoxa died after eating a big furry moth


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## padkison

It was a fuzzy moth.

I'm glad she did not feed it to my one Marbled female. I've still got 2 adult female Carolinas.


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## worldofmantis

a poisonous moth :shock: scary cuz i feed my budwing female moths evrey night have to avoid the ones that are all furry shes my only female :?


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## Rick

I always feed moths to my mantids. They come to the lights at night and I gather em up.


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## Ian

Likewise, I have never even hesitated to feed wild caught insects. I would think it would be more a factor of the mith was infected with pesticide, than a poisonous moth itself...


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## jellyflakes

> I always feed moths to my mantids. They come to the lights at night and I gather em up.


oh....


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## benmoore

I was once told that moths secrete cyanide when threatened... for this reason it is virualy impossible to kill a moth for a collection using cyanide.

I could however be incredibly wrong ^_^ can anyone validate this?


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## tarpshack

I've heard of certain millipedes being able to secrete a chemical containing cyanide when threatened, but I haven't heard of a moth doing that.


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## Jay

I would have to go with some of what has already been said. I would probably either say that the mantis already had something wrong but unseen going on or that the moth had pesticide on it. I have never had a mantis drop dead from a moth. In general mantids usually love flying insects.

-Jay


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## prozacwoman

Maybe it choked on the fuzz? Seriously. I mean, if they have to swallow, I'm sure they can choke on stuff occasionally.

xo,

AJ


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## AFK

> Maybe it choked on the fuzz? Seriously. I mean, if they have to swallow, I'm sure they can choke on stuff occasionally.xo,
> 
> AJ


choking wouldn't immediately kill an insect since insects breath through holes on the sides of their abdomen called "spiracles."


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## robo mantis

ya he has a point


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## prozacwoman

D'oh! (smacking forehead) I forgot about that.  

xo,

AJ


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