Chinese Mantid Nymph- No movement, but found this...

[Ragga P.]

Found my Chinese Mantid nymph motionless and figured it might have fallen from a pre-molt position, but then upon observing for a while, I noticed the abdomen was moving. I sprayed it with water and it looked as if something was coming out of the tip. Has anyone seen anything like this???

 

[MantisGirl13]

Can you please post a picture?

- MantisGirl13

 

[Ragga P.]

Pictures are posted... can you see them?

 

[River Dane]

Most of the Chinese mantises I released to my garden died similarly to this. I found them dead on leaves. Never really noticed anything coming out of the abdomen, but I never really looked too hard. I always figured they died of heat exhaustion (SoCal, after all). 

It’s possible the little guy died of constipation.