Oh no.....

[Pyroruby]

As I came home from Petco there was a Chinese mantis on my stoop. I swooped her up and put her in a small cage as she looks really sad and sick. She's still moving her legs but can't stand up. ??? I don't want to put her in the freezer! I need some prayers.

 

[BugLover]

maybe try water/honey? I have only dealt with one death that was from old age, and that sounds sort of like what happened to my girl

 

[Pyroruby]

She will drink honey/water off of a chopstick and I'm going to mash up a wax worn and see what happens.

I have no clue how old she is, how can you tell? I know she's an adult as she has wings.

It's just super sad.

 

[Pizzaparlor45]

Perhaps it mismolted? If that is the case then there is nothing that can be done other than hand feeding it

 

[Pyroruby]

There was a large cricket carcass very close to my stoop, and I looked for any other clues I could find but found nothing. Her belly is huge and she's definitely more bright green and smaller than my other Chinese mantis. I'm hoping she just ate something crummy.

 

[Pyroruby]

As long as she lives I will hand feed her forever! Lol.

 

[hibiscusmile]

was it cold there? she will prob be fine, an orphan... hump!

 

[Pyroruby]

yes, it is chilly here. It was really damp and chilly last night also. she ate a squished wax worm, and gets sporadic bursts of energy, but is extremely lethargic and will not grab food at all.

I guess we will see what happens tonight.

 

[BugLover]

The only way I know of to tell the "age" of an adult mantis is to see if it has dark spots. If it does it is an old mantis

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Yeah, some old mantises do get dark spots, but not all of them. It's pretty late in the year for mantids, especially since you live in Pennsylvania. I'd say she's probably just old. But you can still do anything you can for her.

 

[Rick]

It is the end of their lifespan. What you are seeing is normal.

 

[Pyroruby]

Thanks guys. When I woke up she had brown liquid staining her wings and in the bottom of the cage ???

 

[Pizzaparlor45]

Once you see that liquid from an adult then that is a clear message that the mantis's time has come.

 

[Sticky]

That liquid says she has the Black Death. How is she doing? I hope she is still with you.

 

[ScienceGirl]

We found a wild M. Religiosa on the side of our house in the morning last weekend. The female was barely able to move and was unable to support herself. I fed her honey, then water. She perked up and began functioning normally as her body temperature rose. Insects are cold-blooded, so low temperatures slow down their body. She ate a cricket, and then was released onto the roses to continue living her mantis life.