Mantis died from bizarre... parasite???

[Galactic Lord Xenu]

Ok, this happened years ago, so I'm going off memory. I've been utterly curious what happened to this mantis ever since, since I've never seen this sort of thing in any insect before.

Years ago, back when I was in middle school, we kept praying mantids in an aquarium; I believe they were Mantis religiousa.

Anyway, one suddenly began doing not-so-good. Then... something was coming out of the "armpit" of one of the frontal claws. It was wormlike, but it didn't move so much as it was just slowly ejecting from the "armpit"; I don't recall it (the weird "worm" thing) moving after coming out. It seemed to be simply a long flesh-colored coil with no head or tail.

I can't imagine it being an internal organ. Any ideas what it could possibly have been?

 

[nub3]

If it wasnt a living worm-like parasite maybe it was one of those fungus parasite things that I saw on TV.

Kinda looks like this

http://neurophilosophy.files.wordpress.com..._campanotus.jpg

I think it grows from inside of ants and other insects, also has some mental affect on them, makes them go crazy and try to climb high up trees, aiding the parasite to infect others and breed.

This is probably really unlikely but it just came to mind reading what you described

 

[Galactic Lord Xenu]

Well, it might have been a worm-like parasite; I doubt it was fungal, it certainly wasn't anything like in that picture.

My memory is hazy but it was a pretty damn weird thing to see and it didn't APPEAR to be like any worm I've ever seen.

 

[Asa]

Sounds like an internal parasite. I got one of those recently on one of my prized mantids

 

[Galactic Lord Xenu]

Hmm, what happeneed is similar to the description here:

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4033

Sounds like a horsehair worm. Gross.

 

[hibiscusmile]

And here I thought this was such a nice forum :roll:

 

[OGIGA]

That picture is freakin' scary.

 

[Rick]

Sounds like an internal parasite. I got one of those recently on one of my prized mantids

Please describe.

 

[Sparky]

If it wasnt a living worm-like parasite maybe it was one of those fungus parasite things that I saw on TV. Kinda looks like this

http://neurophilosophy.files.wordpress.com..._campanotus.jpg

I think it grows from inside of ants and other insects, also has some mental affect on them, makes them go crazy and try to climb high up trees, aiding the parasite to infect others and breed.

This is probably really unlikely but it just came to mind reading what you described

First of all, that is not a parasite. It's a fungus. Well it IS a parasite but its not a worm. It's a parasitic fungus and unless you live near the rainforest you do not have to worry about these infecting your mantids.