Mantis inside-out?

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Misako

Misako

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Hello everyone,

A while ago my hierodule membranacea female started having problems with laying her ooth. I feared her being eggbound first, but giving her more space/humidity finally got her to lay. But then the second problem occured.

When I got home today, she seemed to be stuck to her ooth and had started to try and wriggle herself free. I thought I could help her by cutting her loose, but instead she pulled herself free. And how. A long yellow thread seemed stuck from her abdomen to her ooth. I wasn't sure what it was, but she was stuck to it, so I cut it loose.

When I finally got to investigate, it seemed part of her abdomen got stuck to the ooth.

IMG_1084.JPG


Like this. I'm not sure why she didn't pull it free when the ooth was soft, maybe she didn't realise until she wanted to move away.

Her abdomen looks like this right now:

IMG_1083.JPG


I'm really finding it quite gruesome. Right now she's leaking fluids, and I'm pretty sure I can't help her anymore. Has anybody else ever encountered something like this? Is there something I can do to prevent it happening to my other female, and what should I do with this wounded one?

Thank you for your time.

 
Sorry to see this. :'(

It looks like she has lost her last tergite and both cerci. It most likely took her anus with it.

Without an anus, life will just get worse for her.

Maybe you can feed her to something, or euthanize her in the most humane way possible.

I doubt that this happens to mantids very often. If you are worried about your other female, you can just keep a eye on her when she is finishing up her oothecae. Just make sure that she is separated from it before it is dry.

 
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I've seen them get stuck a bit but never to the point they rip away like that. She will likely have a slow death.

 
Sorry about that. The safest and most humane way to euthanize an insect is to put it into the freezer for a while (I'd say more than 15 min to be sure). Insects are cold blooded and when cold they will slow down, go to "sleep", and then die.

 
you know what's quicker than freezing them and in my opinion more humane? if you have reptiles, feed it to the reptiles, if you have no reptiles take it ouside, put it on the concrete and give it a good squish with your foot. The only reason I'm saying this is because compared to an agonizing 15 minutes in the freezer, stepping on it is pretty much instant.

 
Alright guys, thank you very much anyway. Didn't seem like she was going to survive with this, but didn't want to end her life without making absolutely sure.

Pretty beaten up about it, but went with the freezer anyway. I understand where you are coming from Petoly, I lack the reptiles though and I guess I am too much of a wus to squish my own pet in such a way even if it's likely better for them. But above that, my teacher came to ask me a while ago if I had any dead mantids he could scan with the 3D scanner.. Still sad this happend though, but perhaps her body will be of some use this way.

 
sorry for your loss Misako. Yeah it can be hard to smoosh your own pets. I try to see it for the greater good. Since I bugpin I'm guilty of the freezer method myself sometimes

 
Martha made another tooth this morning. I found her resting the end of her abdomen against it like your girl did. I made her move away. It was still soft so there was no problem but some was stuck to her.

I took her into the bathroom and gently washed her end with a qtip untill the stuff came off. I remember reading somewhere some's girl was badly blocked up with the tooth material and she could not defecated. I think it killed her.

 
Sticky said:
Martha made another tooth this morning. I found her resting the end of her abdomen against it like your girl did. I made her move away. It was still soft so there was no problem but some was stuck to her.

I took her into the bathroom and gently washed her end with a qtip untill the stuff came off. I remember reading somewhere some's girl was badly blocked up with the tooth material and she could not defecated. I think it killed her.
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That was me.... :( Glad u were able to solve the problem before it was too late :)

 
Glad you caught it in time Sticky! Risky business, ooth laying. But yeah, the picture is pretty cringe worthy.. I wasn't sure about posting anything at all first because it seemed pretty grim to start with, but I wouldn't dare killing a mantis without being absolutely sure that is the only possible thing to do.

I did end up freezing her so I could pin her body, and right now she is being scanned in a 3D scanner. Maybe we'll try printing the model if it comes out okay.

 
Misako said:
Glad you caught it in time Sticky! Risky business, ooth laying.

Yes it is. It is sad to have to put down a pet. When they are old you know about when its coming. But this is a shocker. It is fun to see her lay and see what few people ever see.

I raised wild silkmoths and it was special to see the caterpillars grow up then to watch them spin. They have a brain no bigger than a grain of sand yet they know exactly what they are doing!

I did end up freezing her so I could pin her body, and right now she is being scanned in a 3D scanner. Maybe we'll try printing the model if it comes out okay.

This is something neat. Why are you having her scanned and what will you look for? I am buying little wooden boxes to use as coffins for some of mine.
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