possible infestation

[massaman]

I had fed one of my female shields a fly from outside a few weeks ago and well since I fed her the fly she has lost her appetite for anything put in her cage as I tried to give her crickets and she just ignores them and other unusual activities is she looks like she breaths kind of heavy and is pretty thin and this got me thinking maybe the only flies available outside would be those parasitic flies and been trying to coax her into eating but she has no interest and even tried to mate her in this state and she has no interest as well and was wondering if she could have a infestation of parasitic larvae inside her or something as I checked her to be sure she had nothing else like horsehair worms and no signs of those and probably too early anyways for worms but just trying to figure out if she is infested or not and should I just observe her in her cage or put her out of her misery knowing she may never eat again or has anyone else ever had this kind of situation befall their mantis?My other shield female is pretty gravid and looks like she is going to lay soon I hope and had rebred both of them after they laid their ooths but the first female as I said took a fly and has not eaten in a few weeks since she ate the fly!

 

[AmandaLynn]

Who knows? It could be a lot of things. I would try giving her honey or honey water mixture and keep offering her food... maybe she'll get better, maybe not...

 

[ismart]

Your really hung up on this whole parasite thing. The chances of it being a parasite is highly unlikely. Just give her plenty of water, and good ventilation. If she does not make it cut her open and check to see if your theroy of parasites killed her?

 

[massaman]

There is no other explanation that I can come up with well having 2 shields and both of them mated and then both of them laying ooths then one stops eating after one fly and the other putting on weight and eating and is quite active while her counterpart just hangs in her cage motionless and tried the honey treatment and she wont even try to eat or drink it but she may just starve herself to death but that probably happens rarely in the wild but just trying to figure all this out!

 

[Rick]

There is no other explanation that I can come up with well having 2 shields and both of them mated and then both of them laying ooths then one stops eating after one fly and the other putting on weight and eating and is quite active while her counterpart just hangs in her cage motionless and tried the honey treatment and she wont even try to eat or drink it but she may just starve herself to death but that probably happens rarely in the wild but just trying to figure all this out!

It is not parasites. You probably need to take a look at the conditions you're keeping them in.

 

[massaman]

well thanks she had passed on anyways but as many said they die from a number of reasons but I got one female left who is pretty healthy and as of today laid her second ooth and it looks pretty good and going to wait till it dries before incubating it!

 

[ismart]

That stinks! Did you open her up?

 

[massaman]

nahh I am kind of squeemish when it comes to opening up insects or animals LOL but did give her a watery burial and thats pretty much it but focusing on the second ooth my second female laid and crossing my fingers that it will hatch out for me but just wondering how many weeks does a shield mantis ooth take to hatch anyways?

 

[ismart]

Usually about 5 weeks at 85F.

 

[massaman]

hmmm cant get that in my apartment since spring is coming and the temperature I have is 74-75 degrees at most and just wondering would it still hatch out but takes longer then five weeks or so?

 

[ismart]

It will still hatch at room temp, but it will take longer.