My sphodromantis lineola has been spending a lot of time doing nothing, she ate last week but it has been at least 4 or 5 days i havent fed her and she still is fat. She got black spots on the abdomen and i havent see her poo for a long time as well. She is also moving her abdomen in a weird way, like if it is breathing, it goes up and down.... what could it be and what should i do ?
Is it ill ???
- Thread starter Coyote
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Being female, fat can simply mean she is gravid (ready to lay a ooth) if she is adult. As long as she is not rounded like a balloon she is likely within weight. Also the abdomen movements sound like she is calling for male, releasing pheromones to attract a mate. If she is calling she likely has little interest in eating as she is in "breeding mode".
The black spots though sound like possible trouble (but many older mantids develop some almost like liver spots on humans), but there is no way to know or to figure out the problem/solution without photos. Please post some photos otherwise there is nothing that can be identified, especially regarding the black spots.
The black spots though sound like possible trouble (but many older mantids develop some almost like liver spots on humans), but there is no way to know or to figure out the problem/solution without photos. Please post some photos otherwise there is nothing that can be identified, especially regarding the black spots.
She is not adult, could she still be calling for a male ? Tried to feed her again and she doesnt want it... Hard to take pictures because it's a bit weird, the spots are at each section, and i can only see them when her abdomen isnt bending over her... the black spots are centered and at each section. Maybe this helps... If it's an illness, how did she got it and what can i do 
If she is not an adult, she is not sexual matured and would not be calling a male. Just taking a guess based on the abdomen movements, refusing food, and black spots, she could be constipated which is life threatening.She is not adult, could she still be calling for a male ? Tried to feed her again and she doesnt want it... Hard to take pictures because it's a bit weird, the spots are at each section, and i can only see them when her abdomen isnt bending over her... the black spots are centered and at each section. Maybe this helps... If it's an illness, how did she got it and what can i do
If she is the only trick I've heard of to help is to keep the humidity higher in her habitat than normal, and also getting a small bowl (or even a jar lid) with room temperature water in it and try to see if you can coax her into leaving the tip of her abdomen in it for as long as possible. The humidity may help dissolve any if it is impacted around her anus, the bowl of water will dissolve it for sure though if that is the problem (but it can be hard to get a mantis to soak the tip of their abdomen in, you may have luck placing her in a smaller height container and placing the water below her, moving it higher until it touches her, then leave it at that position). This is a trick I read in a scientific paper about a constipated walking stick.
Without photos though it is impossible to tell what the black spots are (and likely the problem). Well if photos are out of the question get a video (30 seconds or longer) of her preferably moving around a bit and that would likely be better than a photo anyway. Just upload it to youtube and provide a link - or if you don't know how to do that then private message me and I can give you my e-mail address so you can just attach it and send it to me in a email message. I'll then post it online for others to see as well.
In the meantime get some 100% pure honey (not the fake stuff sold at most places), and put it on a toothpick and give it to her. Likely if you have never given her honey you will need to rub it lightly on her arms or mouth, which she will then clean off and want more. It will help keep her strength up from not eating, but is not a substitute for feeders.
The only other black spots I have heard of/seen are dried blood from a injury (which are healing if it is dried), or a bacterial infection. If it is bacteria sadly there is little if any that can be done - they say giving a mantis honey can help fight the infection, not really sure but it's worth a shot.
Thank you so much for your advices. I woke up to see that she just molted succesfully, the black dots arent here anymore, and now, honestly i think you are right though about the constipation. I will mist the cage three times a day to keep really high humidity. right now the abdomen seems thinner so maybe it was just waiting to molt and she was maybe moving like that because she was too compressed in her old skin.
So I will try to give her food in 24 hours and if she eats i will see if she is taking poo or if she is still not able to eliminate food properly. Thanks a lot for your advices.
So I will try to give her food in 24 hours and if she eats i will see if she is taking poo or if she is still not able to eliminate food properly. Thanks a lot for your advices.
ashleenicole
Well-known member
The only thing I have to add is that you might want to watch her enclosure really closely for mold if you are misting that many times a day. Good luck with her, I hope everything works out!
Your welcome, and I'm glad to hear she had a successful molt and no longer has black spots.
Indeed once you offer her food and are able to tell if she passed frass or not (by the day afterwards) post again. Hopefully all will be back to normal - with the black spots gone it is a step in the right direction.
she ate a grasshopper and now the black spots are back. I think it might just be that we can see through her skin ? what do you think ? thanks a lot for helpingYour welcome, and I'm glad to hear she had a successful molt and no longer has black spots.
Indeed once you offer her food and are able to tell if she passed frass or not (by the day afterwards) post again. Hopefully all will be back to normal - with the black spots gone it is a step in the right direction.
Could be a bit of transparency there, I've kept some species that you could see through easily like Miomantis paykulli mantises (the nymphs especially were at times almost like glass). If you notice in a few days that the spots have changed shape, moved, or are gone - it is most likely a view of the bowels.
Return her to normal humidity if you haven't already too. Have you witnessed her pass normal frass yet?
saw her poo today. but still really weird things are happening... im really worried, she has been shaking her head and looked like it was not her controlling the shaking... her abdomen is still moving in a really weird way.... i dont know what to do...
Sorry to say it's really reaching a impossible level to offer any help without seeing your mantis doing some of the things, as I can't see it's actions to know if it's normal/abnormal/or what may be the cause to offer suggestions on how to try to help further.
If you got a camera, smart phone, tablet, etc. just record a 30 second clip of your mantis and the behavior, and upload it online or PM me to send a email with it attached. Otherwise I'm not sure what to recommend to you. It doesn't sound like her condition has improved, and could be various things, which can't be identified merely by text.
