European acting funny....

[NoKanDo]

ok, i have a 6 month old adult female european. she is acting a little different, she is not eating as much, and even after being mounted by the male 2 times she refuses to eat. also it is starting to look like she is having trouble holding herself up, her abdomen is starting to hang lower and sometimes she cant hang on with one of her back legs, she was never like this before. Also, i got some black secretion out of her today, it was like she was trying to poop but this dark purple to almost black liquid came out.

i know that usually means she is sick, but i cant figure out what might have gotten her sick. I have been giving her flys, moths, and crane flys as of late. I used to give her crickets and thats when the black liquid started, then i took her off em and the black liquid stopped.

i was told by Pete to feed the crickets heathy fruits and what not up to 2 days before feeding them to the mantis and i have done that.

Anyone help me out? is she just getting old?

 

[massaman]

could be getting eggbound and will prob die soon but thats just my guess

 

[Rick]

Old age.

 

[NoKanDo]

she is getting even worse, and i do believe its old age... she is moving very slow and has no appetite. i separated her and im hoping she goes peacfully. im sad to see her go.

 

[sbugir]

, either old age, or could just be she's getting ready to lay an ooth. Lets hope for the latter. Did you ever get an ooth out of her? It'd be a shame to see your beautiful european go. This is the whitish one right?

 

[MantidLord]

I have noticed that my religiosas always get clumsy and pathetic-like after they mate or when they are about to lay. But right after they lay, they are good as new. I can understand that they are fat and can't hang, etc. But it seems like they're about to die, but they don't. Your mantis however appears to be old age judging by the time frame you stated and that she's not eating. My females devour everything in sight. Best of luck.

 

[NoKanDo]

yes, its is the white one...now a dark tan, brownish, and gray. i did manage to get one ooth from her, and the male mated with her 4 times the lasst couple days. i knw she isnt going to lay an ooth, she acted nothing like this when she laid the first one. i am kinda sad, she was really a good one. she always wanted to come out and play, and loved sitting on my shoulder watching tv...or even lay on my head, lol.

im almost 100% sure its old age... she is very very very slow, and is laying on me with her front legs tucked and her head down...

 

[hibiscusmile]

Aw ... poor baby, sorry to see u lose her.

 

[sbugir]

Up the temp a little maybe? why'd you mate her four times ? She might be exhausted! lol. One ooth seems like nothing from europeans. Strange.

 

[NoKanDo]

she actually just passed away 2 mins ago...i had no other cages and i didnt really want to let her or the male go, but it looks like fate decided this one. But even still they lived nicely together, i guess it was just her timee to go. After she laid the first one she got very skinny, and ate 1 fly, then nothing else for a while, then half of a cricket... and then just started to act weird..im very sad in deed, i hope her of spring come out to be like her.

 

[sbugir]

I'm sorry to hear that . Hopefully that ooth will bring many great precious babies , my first mantis just passed away monday, and I was indeed sad. But what can you do with a critter that only lives a year?

 

[NoKanDo]

i know, it really saddens me. if they lived for 5 years id never own anything else...or something like a turtle or parrot, lol.

 

[MantidLord]

i know, it really saddens me. if they lived for 5 years id never own anything else...or something like a turtle or parrot, lol.

RIP Mantis religiosa. I can only hope that her legacy shall continue. Sorry for your loss dude.

 

[NoKanDo]

thanks, it means a lot to me, i really enjoyed spending time with this one. i really do hope her legacy is as cool as she was