My Praying Mantis was in the middle of a molt the other day but something went wrong. He seemed to be stuck and his body was all bent out of shape. I tried to mist him and I also gave him water but it didn't help. He was still alive later in the day and my husband decided to try to peel some of the dead skin away to see if the little guy would be able to recover. He started moving his legs but he is still bent (almost curled up in a ball) I've been feeding him wet dog food and water which he takes eagerly but he can't move. I see him trying but its almost like he has no control of his limbs. That was yesterday, and this morning he is still alive but in the same position. What should I do? Will he recover or should I end his misery
URGENT!!!Mantis is crippled after molt
- Thread starter smittys
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Hello. Welcome to the site. Once they get into that position there is nothing you can do. If it can't catch its own food or walk I will usually stick them in the freezer or feed them to something else. He will not recover from that.
Oh that really sucks. He is such a cool little guy. I guess putting him in the freezer is the most humane thing to do. I was just hoping he would be able to recover. Could you tell me what went wrong? Was he too dry to finish the molt or do some of them injure themselves during molts? I just wish I knew what happened because I have another Mantis and I don't want the same thing to happen to him.
Sometimes they hit something under them and when this happens they have no control to move away from it and they start to curl in order to finish the molt, but that doesn't help and they end up badly. Sorry, do u have others? Try to make sure they have enough room to molt without touching anything under them and sometimes more moisture does help right before a molt, what kind was it?
ismart
Well-known member
The freezer is your best option now. There probally was not enough humidity for him moult properly.
I just gave him his last supper and now off to the freezer he goes. That isn't painful is it? Do they just go to sleep? I'm not sure what kind they are but they are the grayish color. I got them through one of those mail order science projects.
ismart
Well-known member
It's quick and hopefully painless.
Can you post a pic of one? They usally sell chinese ooths for the science projects and such. I just don't ever recall seeing a chinese that was is a grayish color.
Actually after taking a closer look he is more of just a brownish color. Didn't mean to get anyone excited over a possible new species of manti out there. LOL
Put him in the freezer last night to end his suffering. I was hoping he would show some signs of improvement but he didn't. Sad day at the Smith house
Put him in the freezer last night to end his suffering. I was hoping he would show some signs of improvement but he didn't. Sad day at the Smith house
vera_renczi
Well-known member
insects detect sensations, like they know when they're being touched or if something is wrong with them because they can't fully function properly but they don't feel pain. I think it has something to do with the fact that they lack nociceptors?
yeah hopefully that doesn't strike up some kind of crazy argument, haha
yeah hopefully that doesn't strike up some kind of crazy argument, haha
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Oh yeah, I rushed to my copy of R.Chapman, The Insects, knowing that it has a chapter on insect neurology, lots of which I don't understand, in the hope of starting a crazy argument on nociceptors, but no mention of them, nor in another basic text on insects. But yes, insects have 'em, and there are a number of scholarly articles since around 2000. Here's a good one: http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/204/3/457.pdf. When I was a kid in England, we used to do just this sort of "experiment" on hawk moth caterpillarsinsects detect sensations, like they know when they're being touched or if something is wrong with them because they can't fully function properly but they don't feel pain. I think it has something to do with the fact that they lack nociceptors? yeah hopefully that doesn't strike up some kind of crazy argument, haha
. That said, I know that it is a mistake to portray a critter's turning away from a noxious stimulus as "pain." When we smell something unpleasant, we are likely to be repelled by it, but our action is not accompanied by the emotional component that is present when we experience pain. It is fashionable to put down articles in Wikipedia, but its article on nociceptors makes a valuable point (i.e. one that I strongly agree with): "Due to historical understandings of pain, nociceptors are also called pain receptors. This usage is not consistent with the modern definition of pain as a subjective experience."So I'm afraid that someone else will have to initiate the crazy argument, but I did find a reasonably priced copy of Blum, M. S. (1985). Fundamentals of Insect Physiology. which I ought to have, even if I don't understand it, either.
vera_renczi
Well-known member
I'm so confused now hahah! all I know is that a few years ago I read up on whether or not insects can feel pain in order to put myself at ease after my cat jumped on the millipede's cage lid juuust right and cut one in half. he lived for about four days after that, just moving around a little awkwardly, eating and drinking as normal until he finally kicked the bucked. RIP Cable :mellow:
Oh no, now I feel bad about freezing my little guy. My husband said "Just step on him" NO WAY!!!!! I couldn't do that and then I read that freezing them just puts them into an unconscious state and then they just kinda fall asleep and die. Please, please tell me thats true. I feel so awful now.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
With the exception of mantids in Ohio (see Rebecca? I remember), insects do not feel pain in the sense that we understand and experience it. If they did, we would be deliberately inflicting agony on every insect that we feed to our mantids and that are eaten alive. Ever see an agonized fruit fly?
vera_renczi
Well-known member
agreed! I was thinking about this not too long ago while mine ate crickets! I supposed that's how insects lose limbs and such just keep on keepin' on after the unfortunate events. :lol: they just stay concerned with going about their business.
I think that by putting the mantis in the freezer you just ended its struggling. don't feel bad!!
whenever my 'pede was dying, and not knowing about the freezer method, a friend suggested stomping him :blink: but the freezer is so much better and waaay less noisy and messy
I just let him go on because I didn't know about freezing but I wish I did, four days past dying giant millipedes smell awful!!!
I just flush the dead or dying mantis down the toilet and give them a watery burial and pull the handle and its quicker then waiting for them to die or whatever in the fridge and its quick and painless and nothing to worry about once the deed is done!
vera_renczi
Well-known member
superfreak
Well-known member
quick and painless down the toilet? HAHA youve got to be kidding. seriously, you think that just because you cant see it any more means its dead? they can survive without oxygen for a while. freezing is definitely quicker and far less stressful. plus it wont plug up your toilet.
