# Abdomen Discharge



## n4c (Aug 21, 2022)

Recently my mantis stop eating. a few days ago i've noticed that it kept trying to push something out of its abdomen. can anyone help identify the issue, cause, and if anything can be done please? Ive posted link below to google drive video file for viewing. thank you
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6QjaxVggSuUBtvcG6


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## agent A (Aug 21, 2022)

that looks like rectal prolapse
idk if it can be treated. your mantis will probably die


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## n4c (Aug 21, 2022)

agent A said:


> that looks like rectal prolapse
> idk if it can be treated. your mantis will probably die


what causes it?


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## agent A (Aug 21, 2022)

n4c said:


> what causes it?


idk. something just goes wrong sometimes


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## n4c (Sep 4, 2022)

agent A said:


> idk. something just goes wrong sometimes


as the weeks progressed, what it turned out being were the beginning stages of horse worm :/


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## agent A (Sep 12, 2022)

n4c said:


> as the weeks progressed, what it turned out being were the beginning stages of horse worm :/


was this a WC mantis? horsehair worm isn't too common in captivity. I've seen the hoppers in my yard yield these worms but never any of my mantises, and I've drenched freshly dead ones to see if the worms would emerge!


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## n4c (Sep 12, 2022)

agent A said:


> was this a WC mantis? horsehair worm isn't too common in captivity. I've seen the hoppers in my yard yield these worms but never any of my mantises, and I've drenched freshly dead ones to see if the worms would emerge!


you know what? to be very honest. im not even exactly sure. i can tell you that, whenever i placed a cup of water next to the vent of the enclosure, the abdomen would begin to pull the mantis towards the vent. if the mantis would try to move away, it will pull it back and keep along side water. but does not emerge. (im assuming it has to wait until it’s a full adult?) you can see something black moving thru the exoskeleton of the mantis. the mantis stops eating as well, i think it will wait until it’s absolutely starving then eat only one fly. that abdomen doesn’t ever flatten, it was pretty puffy without the mantis eating. it will continue to poop like normal but it would every now and then shoot out clear liquid from its anus. i forgot to mention that when the mantis is pulled to the vent where the water is, while keeping it planted there, every like 45 mins or so the mantis a abdomen will drop completely down and anus touches the enclosure. when the mantis is still you can also see something peeking in and out of its anus but it’s very small. when it starts it look clear color, then it turns like a yellowish color, then slowly it turns black. 

now… the oddest thing about the whole thing is if i have another mantis, eventually the other mantis will begin to show the same symptoms… and, I MAYBE PARANOID, BUT… i think it may spread to any feeder i may have. the deli cup of house flies i had, i believe they were getting pulled back by their abdomen as well, but like i said, by that point i might have been a bit paranoid.


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## Introvertebrate (Sep 12, 2022)

If you see a repeat case, I'd be inclined to throw it all out and start fresh.


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