Mantis drops dead while eating a moth

[padkison]

My daughter was catching bugs from our garden to feed the mantids. She fed one of our adult female Carolinas a moth. The mantis ate about 1/2 the wings and then suddenly dropped dead. She was fine up until then.

What gives?

 

[Rick]

Thats strange. Can't say I've ever seen something like that.

 

[worldofmantis]

wow.... dont know if this is even close to correct but its the only thing i can think of. is it possible that it had bug killer or something on it?

 

[mantidman]

heart attack?

 

[Rick]

wow.... dont know if this is even close to correct but its the only thing i can think of. is it possible that it had bug killer or something on it?

Kinda what I was thinking too.

 

[Johnald Chaffinch]

one of my Phyllocrania paradoxa died after eating a big furry moth

 

[padkison]

It was a fuzzy moth.

I'm glad she did not feed it to my one Marbled female. I've still got 2 adult female Carolinas.

 

[worldofmantis]

a poisonous moth :shock: scary cuz i feed my budwing female moths evrey night have to avoid the ones that are all furry shes my only female :?

 

[Rick]

I always feed moths to my mantids. They come to the lights at night and I gather em up.

 

[Ian]

Likewise, I have never even hesitated to feed wild caught insects. I would think it would be more a factor of the mith was infected with pesticide, than a poisonous moth itself...

 

[jellyflakes]

I always feed moths to my mantids. They come to the lights at night and I gather em up.

oh....

 

[benmoore]

I was once told that moths secrete cyanide when threatened... for this reason it is virualy impossible to kill a moth for a collection using cyanide.

I could however be incredibly wrong ^_^ can anyone validate this?

 

[tarpshack]

I've heard of certain millipedes being able to secrete a chemical containing cyanide when threatened, but I haven't heard of a moth doing that.

 

[Jay]

I would have to go with some of what has already been said. I would probably either say that the mantis already had something wrong but unseen going on or that the moth had pesticide on it. I have never had a mantis drop dead from a moth. In general mantids usually love flying insects.

-Jay

 

[prozacwoman]

Maybe it choked on the fuzz? Seriously. I mean, if they have to swallow, I'm sure they can choke on stuff occasionally.

xo,

AJ

 

[AFK]

Maybe it choked on the fuzz? Seriously. I mean, if they have to swallow, I'm sure they can choke on stuff occasionally.xo,

AJ

choking wouldn't immediately kill an insect since insects breath through holes on the sides of their abdomen called "spiracles."

 

[robo mantis]

ya he has a point

 

[prozacwoman]

D'oh! (smacking forehead) I forgot about that.

xo,

AJ