Unexplained Death

[dgerndt]

Yesterday morning I noticed that my adult male Egyptian mantis was sitting on the bottom of his cage. He was looking down into a clump of moss, so I assumed he was hunting. Then in the evening, when I went to spray all my mantids' enclosures, I saw that he was still sitting on that clump of moss. I figured he was just being a silly mantis, doing some weird mantis behavior that I don't understand. So I went off to do my own thing without worrying about my silly Romanesco.

But, by the time I was getting ready to go to bed and it was time to turn off their lights, he was still at the bottom of his cage. Rather than sitting/standing, he was laying down, almost turned on his side. I took the lid off his deli cup and reached down to try and nudge him onto my hand, but he was barely moving. I gently pinched his wings and lifted him out, then placed him on my hand. He couldn't stand, his legs were curling up to his body, and his arms were jerking around. All of his limbs were shaking and his eyes seemed blank.

I placed him back on that little clump of moss in his deli cup, and closed the lid. I knew there wasn't anything I could do, so I let him go in peace. When I checked on him this morning, he wasn't moving anymore.

He was my first mantis to raise from L1 to adulthood. He has a special place in my heart, and he will be missed.

Any idea what happened to him? He wasn't very old; he was born in November of 2010. He mated with a female a few weeks ago, but escaped unscathed. He was eating and drinking well, and I didn't feed him anything out of the ordinary.

 

[lancaster1313]

How long since his final molt? Many male mantids only have a couple of months as adults, that is just the way it can be. I am always sad when my mantids die, males can look fine one day and start to fold their legs the next. :mellow: I have had seemingly half dead males, perk up to mate just fine, and then die after the mating. It usually makes me feel better about it if I get a male to mate right before he dies.

 

[psyconiko]

I have bred Miomantis paykulli,and still have some adult females from parthogenesis.I remember males from this species being quite fragile and inclined to "unexplained" death(the reason why I only have females)....

Careful with humidity and heat.

He was born in november 2010,so he was 7 months old....My oldest male was 9 months old(but it is my Guiness record) and females usually live for 1 year.I believe he might have died from old age...

Was it the first time he mated?

 

[hibiscusmile]

yea, the boys dont outlive the girls, too much humidity is bad for this species too, but it was age.

 

[dgerndt]

He had his final molt on March 11, 2011. He mated for the only time on May 1st. So I guess it makes sense that he was just old... Well, at least I know I didn't do anything wrong. I just didn't realize males die so much sooner than females.

Now the only thing left to do is lay him to rest in the mantis graveyard garden in my backyard.

Nikko, all mantids created through parthogenesis will be females. I have one, myself!

 

[patrickfraser]

Maybe Jesus came and took him. I hear he is making a comeback, today. I haven't seen him yet, but I am looking. Better look busy...Jesus is coming.

 

[psyconiko]

He had his final molt on March 11, 2011. He mated for the only time on May 1st. So I guess it makes sense that he was just old... Well, at least I know I didn't do anything wrong. I just didn't realize males die so much sooner than females.

Now the only thing left to do is lay him to rest in the mantis graveyard garden in my backyard.

Nikko, all mantids created through parthogenesis will be females. I have one, myself!

Yes...I am not expecting any males coming from an unmated female ooth :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Ricardo]

Maybe Jesus came and took him. I hear he is making a comeback, today. I haven't seen him yet, but I am looking. Better look busy...Jesus is coming.

He's not

Also My mio male died a month after molting to adult. Suppose it's just life :/

Sorry for your loss!

 

[Termite48]

I am sorry to read about your Romanesco passing away. My crippled Violin, Tripod passed away today, so I partly know how you feel, although I did not raise her from a nymph. Do you have another to take his place soon?

 

[Rick]

Really no way to tell how he died if it wasn't something obvious. This might be the wrong hobby for you if you get too upset over a mantis dying. They don't live long and they often die for no reason.

 

[dgerndt]

Rick, I won't be leaving this hobby any time soon. I was sad that he died, but I understand it's a part of life. I used to get really upset when my mantids died and I had no explanation for it, but I realize that it just happens. That's why mantids have so many babies!

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

you have 777 posts... just saying. And sorry for your loss.