abdomen bloat

[Crazy4mantis]

Hi all,

One of my juvenile wahlbergii females is having an issue I haven't seen before. She seems to be eating and acting normally, but each time she eats and her abdomen expands like you would normally see after a mantis feeds, it does not deflate back down. It's almost as if she can't excrete digested food. I fed her a small moth every other day for about a week, and her abdomen has become more swollen with each one, and not deflated back down after feeding like normal. I tried not feeding her for 2 days, but her abdomen did not deflate back down.

Does anyone know what is happening and if it can be fixed? I am afraid to feed her more at this point. I will try putting her into an empty container and checking for feces at the bottom. current humidity in the vented deli cup she's in is 50%, and temp is 80.

thanks!

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Way too much feeding. Lay off the food until she is thin. 2 days is not enough.

 

[Crazy4mantis]

I don't think it's overfeeding, as the moths are very small, and my other nymphs get very thin just one day after eating them.

 

[marsyrosey]

I don't think it's overfeeding, as the moths are very small, and my other nymphs get very thin just one day after eating them.

are you sure they’re all the same instar and that she’s a female? if she’s a bit younger or actually a male she shouldn’t eat so much, i’d wait until her abdomen flattens again to feed her