MantidLord
Well-known member
Hi, I recently caught a bunch of Mantis religiosa. The majority of my new additions have been either subadult or adult. When I began looking for them, my first find was an adult female about two weeks ago. Eventually, I found an adult male and introduced them. I never witnessed any mating, however I did see her mounted by the male and she was with other adult males for 24 hours a day. So recently, she's been getting large. I attributed her weight gain to being pregnant and eating a lot (she consumed three adult males and a lot of crickets). However, this morning I checked on my stock and found that she kept her right raptoral claw closed. She would move the arm, but never open the claw, making it difficult (especially with her weight) to climb. Now I've experienced this before, and I wasn't really concerned about it, so I put her in some underbrush in her cage and let her rest there.
A couple of hours later, I come back to check up on her and find her on the bottom of the cage, dead. Her legs were crossed over, eyes darkening and not responding. The only thing moving, was her abdomen. I thought it was strange (that she was breathing), but figured she was on her way out. I contine to watch, and see the tip of her abdomen move in a fashion that she was about to lay an ooth (when they start making circular motions). Immediately I suspected a parasite. But instead of cutting her open, I took tweezers and squeezed her abdomen to see if the movements became more rapid (as I've experienced with mantids infected with parasites), nothing. Instead, a gelatinous black oval popped out of her abdomen. Now, I'm familiar with how their excrement looks and the various shapes they can take, but I assure you, this was not frass. After the black oval, a yellowish tube shaped "thing" came out of her. It was the size of a maggot, and it did indeed move a little. But the movements were subtle and did not continue. Still, because I'm unfamiliar with insect anatomy, it could be that the maggot shaped thing was some part of the mantis and was dying off.
Whatever the case, I don't know what it is/was and am not offering any explanation. Only imput on others experiences and what possibly happened to her. I don't suspect overfeeding, because this mantis has refused food from me in the past before she was introduced to a male. Thank you.
A couple of hours later, I come back to check up on her and find her on the bottom of the cage, dead. Her legs were crossed over, eyes darkening and not responding. The only thing moving, was her abdomen. I thought it was strange (that she was breathing), but figured she was on her way out. I contine to watch, and see the tip of her abdomen move in a fashion that she was about to lay an ooth (when they start making circular motions). Immediately I suspected a parasite. But instead of cutting her open, I took tweezers and squeezed her abdomen to see if the movements became more rapid (as I've experienced with mantids infected with parasites), nothing. Instead, a gelatinous black oval popped out of her abdomen. Now, I'm familiar with how their excrement looks and the various shapes they can take, but I assure you, this was not frass. After the black oval, a yellowish tube shaped "thing" came out of her. It was the size of a maggot, and it did indeed move a little. But the movements were subtle and did not continue. Still, because I'm unfamiliar with insect anatomy, it could be that the maggot shaped thing was some part of the mantis and was dying off.
Whatever the case, I don't know what it is/was and am not offering any explanation. Only imput on others experiences and what possibly happened to her. I don't suspect overfeeding, because this mantis has refused food from me in the past before she was introduced to a male. Thank you.
