Possible abdominal infection?

[kynsylph]

I have an L4 Carolina mantis, James, who seems very sick. His last moult was on August 6th and he last ate on the 22nd, which is the last time I attempted feeding him. I noticed on the 21st of August that the lid of his deli cup had some red-brown splotches on it, but I decided to try a "wait and see" approach based on reading a few forum posts here. He has two siblings who get identical care to him: they eat the exact same amount of hydei fruit flies every other day, they get their cups cleaned all at the same time, and they all are sprayed with the same distilled water.

Now he is weak and unable to move his back two legs very much. His abdomen droops and is quite dark, and I don't think he has pooped in a while. He is still able to hang upside-down but he hasn't moved much. Attached are two images, with the red-brown splotches on the lid visible.

I have two main concerns:

1. Is there anything that can be done for James? Is the prognosis at all good or do they pretty much inevitably die once they reach this stage?

2. What could have caused this? Are his siblings at risk? 

 

[MantisGirl13]

For one, that looks like a Chinese mantis, not a Carolina. Also looks larger than L4, maybe L5. 

There's not much that can be done at this stage. You can try some honey water but I wouldn't be too hopeful. Sorry!

- MantisGirl13 

 

[kynsylph]

For one, that looks like a Chinese mantis, not a Carolina. Also looks larger than L4, maybe L5. 

There's not much that can be done at this stage. You can try some honey water but I wouldn't be too hopeful. Sorry!

- MantisGirl13 

Thank you for your response. That's too bad about James, but I am concerned now that it may happen to his siblings, who receive identical care. Is there something I can do to prevent the others from getting sick?

Also, I have raised James and his siblings from an ootheca. He did not hatch out of something that looks like a tenodera sinesis ootheca, so if he is not a Carolina, he must be something other than a Chinese mantis.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Probably Tendora augustipennis.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Probably Tendora augustipennis.

I agree. Tenodera agustipennis look nearly identical to the usual Chinese mantis, but their ooths look like Carolinas.

- MantisGirl13 

 

[kynsylph]

Well... that is an interesting discovery! I guess a possible reason why the infection occurred is because I have been keeping their enclosures more humid. I will take care of them more like I do tenodera sinesis from now on, I suppose.