# Problems with ghost mantis



## Rick

My female ghost mantis is acting strange. She is restless and seems to be kind of dragging herself around with her front legs. I took her out to get a better look and she just seems uncoordinated. She just fell to the bottom of the tank and everything except her front half seems limp. She has been eating and acting normally. It's hard to explain really. The male in the other side of the divided tank seems fine. Not sure what instar they are but a couple molts from adult is all I know.


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## Goddard

Im not completly sure but i think i have heard of this before

Sometimes the mantid can fall from the top of their cage and if they do not land correctly can become paralyzed. At least thats what it sounds like to me but hey

im not expert

JRG


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## Andrew

> Sometimes the mantid can fall from the top of their cage and if they do not land correctly can become paralyzed.


I have heard of this happening to a lot of people that keep phasmids, if they fall the wrong way they may become paralyzed. Just be grateful that your mantis isnt completely paralyzed. Maybe the paralysis will go away once it molts, if it is able to molt without problems.

Good luck with her.

Thanks,

Andrew


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## Rick

Thanks for the replies. Well this morning she seems fine. Hanging from the lid and cleaning herself. Only thing I did was clean the tank last night.


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## Rick

Update! Seems about every few days this mantis will loose some control of her hind legs and eventually will end up falling to the bottom of the tank and just lay on her back. Then the next day she will be fine only to repeat the cycle again a few days later. I am at a loss as to what this could be. The male in the other side of the tank is fine.


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## Macano

Hopefully this isn't the case with yours, but a few years back one of my female adult ghosts had this same behavior. It went on for about 3 weeks and one day I found her dead and have no clue what was going on. Good luck!


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## Rick

Hopefully she does not die. These are not cheap! Not sure if anybody has any right now.


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## Max

I Need Help Too! (Rick, Most Times People That Sell Ghosts Are From Europe! But That Wont Be A Problem For You.....Lucky.... :wink: ) Is It Okay To House Ghosts In Like A Very Big Snap Close Lid Salad Container? Gotta Earn Money For A Tank So Temporary Housing......


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## Leah

Rick,

When you take her out and hold her right side up on your hand, what does her abdomen do? Does it stand straight up like normal? Or does it tilt or fall back to yout hand?

Shake her enclosure gently, and watch to what degree the abdomen sways. Ghosts have a condition where they lose control of the abdomen, have symptoms as you describe, and ultimately, die. I'm not 100% what causes this, but its nearly always in L4-subadults and nearly always males, or green/very light tan colored females.

I've got a few theories on this, but nothing has worked out so far. It should not affect your other mantids.


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## Rick

Hmm sounds about right Leah. About every three days she does it. I just got home and though she was dead. She was laying on her back. I picked her up and she started to move around a bit. She was pretty much just limp with only her front legs and head moving. I put her back on the lid and she is just hanging there mostly limp. When I tap the side she moves a little but just does not look normal.


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## Leah

Sometimes they die while hanging, and will stay there for quite a while...

LIke I said, I have a few theories I am working on with this...


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## Rick

I was out of town for a few days an got home today. She is on the bottom again but is alive. Her head and front legs are moving.


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## Max

Awwaz.....My Ghost Female Is Doing That Now Except Only Her Abodmen Moves........She Doesnt Even Drag Herself Around And When I Touch Her, She Just Tips Over......


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## francisco

Hello All,

I just lost two adults, a male and a female.

I hope the others don't get that.

regards

Fco T.


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## Rick

My female died several days ago.


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## yen_saw

Bummer!!!

So female ghost seems to have higher fatality rate?


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## Max

Well, My Female Ghost Seems To Have Recovered......And Hopefully It Wont Do That Again


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## yen_saw

Did she molt Max? Yeah lets hope she grow up to adult for you.... can't afford to lose the female again eh!


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## Rick

> Well, My Female Ghost Seems To Have Recovered......And Hopefully It Wont Do That Again


Mine seem to recover each time too. Then it happened again eventually she died. Good luck.


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## Max

Oh Noooooo!!! Molt Fast Molt Fast............ :!:


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## Leah

If you stop feeding them, sterilize EVERYTHING in the tank, and really water them well, sometimes you can correct this problem if caught early. I think it is bacterial, and doesnt seem to be contagious in most cases. It is usually the males that experience this.


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## Max

Hmm......I Never Give My Ghosts Tap Water Because Over Here The Water Contains High Traces Of Some Chemical.....I Always Water/Mist My Ghosts With Bottled Water. Hm.....So Far For Me, The Females Are The Most Sensitive. One Of My Females Just Molted L5, And One Of Her Antennas Is Like Frozen In A Half Way Position......


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## Max

Hey,

One Of My Females Molted And One Of Her Antennas Is Like Pointed Straight In The Middle Of Her Head, It's Like Pointing Forward Or Something. Does That Affect Cordination?


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## Janice

Hey everyone,

So I'm having similar strange paralysis problems with my male ghost. He's one molt away from adult and these past few days it looks like he's about to molt. However, I noticed since a few days ago that his four hind legs would just go limp/paralyzed and he couldn't use them. He would rely on his raptorials to drag himself or pull himself up.

It also looks like he's close to molting, but I'm worried that if his legs are paralyzed (periodically, hopefully not permanently) then it would mess up his molt.

I know I'm not really giving insight into this issue, just saying I'm having similar problems. =/


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## PookaDotted

I am studying biology right now, It could be a sex-linked gene with the lighter coloring in the females. I'd be curious what Vlodek has to say about it.


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