Sudden Mantis Death

[Milkyway]

I’m somewhat new to the hobby, so I’m just trying to understand what caused his death. He was completely fine one minute, then very sick the next. 

The day after he ate, I found him on the floor of his cage. He was completely limp—couldn’t even keep his head up. He progressively got worse over the next 24 hours, and started turning brown at the wing buds, and the color spread. I just want to know how I can prevent this in the future, and especially what caused this.

 

[Synapze]

Sorry to read that.

How old was he? 

What did he last eat? 

 

[Milkyway]

Sorry to read that.

How old was he? 

What did he last eat? 

I’m sorry I can’t say exactly how old he was. If I had to guess, maybe L4? As for what he ate, he had a large cricket.

 

[Synapze]

Did you notice any brown spots on the inside of his enclosure? Has he been eating crickets on a regular basis? Did you monitor temp and humidity in the enclosure?

 

[Milkyway]

Umm I don’t recall seeing anything weird in his enclosure. And yes I would feed him crickets once or twice a week, but this time I had fed him only 2 days apart so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. And I don’t monitor those things only because we have a lot of fish tanks in our apartment, which makes the house very hot and humid (like 75+ for temp and over 50% humidity), and I don’t believe that was the problem because my other mantids continue to molt regularly and without issue

 

[Synapze]

Species? 

 

[Milkyway]

Giant Asian Mantis

 

[MantisGirl13]

Where do you get your crickets? 

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Milkyway]

Where do you get your crickets? 

- MantisGirl13 

I either get them from a reptile store (where I got my mantids) or I get them from petco

 

[MantisGirl13]

I either get them from a reptile store (where I got my mantids) or I get them from petco

Ok, sounds like crickets could be the problem. How do you keep them, and how do the stores keep them?.

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Synapze]

@Milkyway Sometimes, despite even the best care and conditions, specimens simply die without any obvious reason or fault of the keeper. From what you're describing, there's simply not enough evidence to give a concrete answer. 

When it comes to crickets -a debate that will never end- many people won't feed them to mantids (like me), while many others have done so for decades without a problem. That's a call you'll have to make, but if the crickets are raised in filthy conditions, it could possibly be a problem. You may want to research raising your own crickets or roaches if possible, or stick with what I consider the filet mignon of feeders... blue bottle flies. 

Long story short, you may be doing everything right, but just had bad luck with this specimen. I hope you have success with your next.

 

[Milkyway]

@Milkyway Sometimes, despite even the best care and conditions, specimens simply die without any obvious reason or fault of the keeper. From what you're describing, there's simply not enough evidence to give a concrete answer. 

When it comes to crickets -a debate that will never end- many people won't feed them to mantids (like me), while many others have done so for decades without a problem. That's a call you'll have to make, but if the crickets are raised in filthy conditions, it could possibly be a problem. You may want to research raising your own crickets or roaches if possible, or stick with what I consider the filet mignon of feeders... blue bottle flies. 

Long story short, you may be doing everything right, but just had bad luck with this specimen. I hope you have success with your next.

Thank you for all the help  I’ve actually been interested in attempting to raise blue bottles! Do you have any tips? I haven’t really been able to find any concrete instructions for how everything works.

 

[Milkyway]

Ok, sounds like crickets could be the problem. How do you keep them, and how do the stores keep them?.

- MantisGirl13 

The stores aren’t the best and I have to admit when I keep them it’s not in the best conditions either, which I thought would be okay since they aren’t in their cage long before getting eaten. That’s been my theory too, since I heard crickets are very susceptible to diseases and collecting filth  

 

[Synapze]

No problem! 

 I’ve actually been interested in attempting to raise blue bottles! Do you have any tips?

I've never cultured them, but judging by this video it's not for the queasy. 

 

[Milkyway]

I've never cultured them, but judging by this video it's not for the queasy. 

Eww haha that was a fun video to watch before eating

 

[MantisGirl13]

The stores aren’t the best and I have to admit when I keep them it’s not in the best conditions either, which I thought would be okay since they aren’t in their cage long before getting eaten. That’s been my theory too, since I heard crickets are very susceptible to diseases and collecting filth  

Ya, crickets from pet stores can carry bacterial infections that can then soreead to your mantids.  That's why so many of us stopped using crickets. 

You are lucky to be allowed to attempt to breed bbfs! It was all I could do to convince my parents to let me breed roaches! Lol

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Mantis Lady]

I never feed my mantids crickets now. I give them grasshopers. Sometimes a piece of dubia's  They gave me little babies again. I never intended to breed them.

I don't think hubby will like if I am going to keep flies. We had a fly plaque this summer and they came in our home via a ventilation shaft. hubby placed there a net and not mant flies in our home now.