Parasites in Iris oratoria
- Thread starter MantidLord
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Ntsees
Well-known member
It could be possible. The last time I was looking for Strepsiterans (unsuccessful) was when I was doing my insect collection project. I recall they were small, but some could be large too.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Mantidlord: My only objection to your post was that you appeared to believe that tachinid fly parasitism was "hypothetical". I think that it is great that you are prepared to do the experiment and look forward to reading your results. My own guess is that the fly approaches the mantis from behind and is in very little danger of being eaten. I would suggest simply setting up your target mantids and the flies in a 12" cube, which will give the flies plenty of room to maneuver, and let them do their thing. I suspect that they will be able to sex each other quite readily. Good luck!
Idahomantid. I'm not sure that Strepsiptera parasitize mantids, though it is possible. I was thinking of the chalcid wasps (Torymidae) such as Podigrion sp [e.g. mantis].:
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Mantis-Parasitic-Wasp/Podagrion%20/sp.html
and http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/hym/chalcids/collecting/Tricho_Torym.html
These wasps, of course, parasitize the eggs and not the nymphs. The eggs die inside the ooth.The accidental importation and release of parasites such as these is one of the reasons that the Feds ban the importation of ooths.
Idahomantid. I'm not sure that Strepsiptera parasitize mantids, though it is possible. I was thinking of the chalcid wasps (Torymidae) such as Podigrion sp [e.g. mantis].:
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Mantis-Parasitic-Wasp/Podagrion%20/sp.html
and http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/hym/chalcids/collecting/Tricho_Torym.html
These wasps, of course, parasitize the eggs and not the nymphs. The eggs die inside the ooth.The accidental importation and release of parasites such as these is one of the reasons that the Feds ban the importation of ooths.
mantisboy
Well-known member
Phil I really don't know much about this other than looking up Mantid Parasites on Google and what I read on Wiki. I generally never use Wiki to reference anything, but it was there so I posted a link.
From what I gathered there 4 families and 109 species of these bugs in North America. If the maggots never pupate (msp?), then perhaps they are actually the adult females of the species. It does note a discolored patch on the female maggot-like body. I was trying to find out how long the female is, but I couldn't find it. It does explain how they enter a mantis and exit which seems to fall within reason of what was described. I guess only time will tell.
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/streps~1.html
If you scroll down a little bit it show an illustration....kinda looks like the pic...but then again all maggots kinda look alike.
From what I gathered there 4 families and 109 species of these bugs in North America. If the maggots never pupate (msp?), then perhaps they are actually the adult females of the species. It does note a discolored patch on the female maggot-like body. I was trying to find out how long the female is, but I couldn't find it. It does explain how they enter a mantis and exit which seems to fall within reason of what was described. I guess only time will tell.
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/streps~1.html
If you scroll down a little bit it show an illustration....kinda looks like the pic...but then again all maggots kinda look alike.
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mantisboy
Well-known member
delete
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PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Well, I learned something new, Idaho. I am familiar with strepisterans only from reading about them, and I had not heard of them infesting mantids. But if they emerged from the mantis, they are are almost certainly are not rare strepisterans, but common tachinid flies.Male strepisterans pupate while still partially inside the mantis. The females provide the third example of the pharate phase that has come up recently on this forum. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the female bag moth matures sexually as a pharate pupa, and here we see the same thing, with the female maturing sexually in larval form, partly inside the host.
The triungulin is another interesting critter much loved by entomologists. They have six "true" legs, biting jaws and can move around much like a small adult beetle. They are the larvae of parasites, and this highly motile first instar lets them climb onto and around their host and eat their way through its cuticle. Long ago, I was taught that triungulins without claws like those of strepisterans, are properly called planidia, but now the terms appear to be interchangeable.
Isn't this stuff great!
The triungulin is another interesting critter much loved by entomologists. They have six "true" legs, biting jaws and can move around much like a small adult beetle. They are the larvae of parasites, and this highly motile first instar lets them climb onto and around their host and eat their way through its cuticle. Long ago, I was taught that triungulins without claws like those of strepisterans, are properly called planidia, but now the terms appear to be interchangeable.
Isn't this stuff great!
MantidLord
Well-known member
Sorry for the long delay. Anyway, here is video of the maggot exiting the mantis. Not for the squeamish. It's kind of low quality, so I apologize for it, and the maggot exits near the end of the video, just so you know.
Note, The mantis is still alive, but barely as a maggot had already burst out of her abdomen a couple of minutes earlier. It may look like I'm squeezing her, but I'm really not, I was just trying to get the maggot to move, as I could see it moving in side of her but it couldn't be captured by camera. Again, I apologize for the low quality. Enjoy.
So far, nothing from the pupae. I'm starting to think that they may require a diapause in order to eclose, as opposed to just hatching into flies with no cold period. Only time will tell I guess. I appreciate all the links and information being provided by the way.
Phil, I do not believe that tachnid fly parasitism is hypothetical, merely the many methods of infection listed on this forum. Though true it could be all or none of them, I just want to test it out to find concrete evidence of (at least) one way a mantis is infected with parasites. I know tachnids will infect other arthropods, so nothing's stopping them from infecting a mantis.
Rick, I'm curious as to why you think the fly is host specific?
If that link doesn't work: http://s679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/?action=view&current=DSCN1171.mp4
Note, The mantis is still alive, but barely as a maggot had already burst out of her abdomen a couple of minutes earlier. It may look like I'm squeezing her, but I'm really not, I was just trying to get the maggot to move, as I could see it moving in side of her but it couldn't be captured by camera. Again, I apologize for the low quality. Enjoy.
So far, nothing from the pupae. I'm starting to think that they may require a diapause in order to eclose, as opposed to just hatching into flies with no cold period. Only time will tell I guess. I appreciate all the links and information being provided by the way.
Phil, I do not believe that tachnid fly parasitism is hypothetical, merely the many methods of infection listed on this forum. Though true it could be all or none of them, I just want to test it out to find concrete evidence of (at least) one way a mantis is infected with parasites. I know tachnids will infect other arthropods, so nothing's stopping them from infecting a mantis.
Rick, I'm curious as to why you think the fly is host specific?
If that link doesn't work: http://s679.photobucket.com/albums/vv158/MantidLord/?action=view&current=DSCN1171.mp4
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MantidLord
Well-known member
Hello, long time no update. The pupae id eclose from the second mantis infected with parasites, however the ones from the first mantis did not. However, when the flies did hatch, I only had one mantis left, and she was on her way out. So I took pictures of them,to be uploaded soon. The flies are now dead, lasting about 3-4 days, however they didn't have food (I've read somewhere that adults feed on nectar). What's really ironic, is that two days after the flies died, I found a female mantis, and the next day, another one. The first mantis however, was also infected and the maggots burst out of her anus, rather than the side of her abdomen as in the previous cases. The second mantis I caught is still alive and fat. Though I've had her for about a week now and never fed her. She was fat when I caught her, and still fat now, so I'm waiting to see if she slims out or lays an ooth or if she is infected. Earlier this week another mantis was caught, and it too was infected with parasites. So in total, I've personally had four cases of wild mantids having parasites, and have seen two wild mantids exhibiting the same symptoms as my infected ones. Will keep you updated. Oh, and the flies that hatched were a little smaller than house flies, with red markings. But I'll post pics anyway.
