HELP. Mantis not eating.

[MantisGirl]

I try him on everything (mealworms, flys, roaches) but he just takes it, drops it. and gives me that look only praying mantises can manage. You know the one.
He is getting really thin now. I am worried that he will try to moult and fail. He has fallen off the roof of his tank half way through moulting before. Next time he might be seriously hurt.
Please help me!

 

[MantisGirl]

My Chinese Mantis is not eating. He is about four months old, not fully grown. I used to feed him on Dubia Roaches, and the occasional Cabbage White Caterpillar. He hasn't had caterpillars for a while now though.
On his last molt, his wings where crumpled, and they still haven't straightened out. I don't think they are going to. I don't know if that matters.

Earlier I found him lying on his side on the bottom of his tank. He was waving his legs but didn't seem able to get up. He has fallen over twice since then.

Its a bit blurry, but you can see how thin he is. The photo of his tank is in there because it may be something in his tank, though its unlikely.
Him:


His tank:

 

[chanda]

Sorry to tell you this, but he *is* fully grown - otherwise he would not have wings. Mantis nymphs/juveniles can have little wing buds that serve as placeholders for the adult wings, but once they get full-sized wings like that, they're done growing. Unfortunately, you mantis appears to have had a bad final molt and his wings did not expand properly - but they have now hardened like that and will not straighten out. He is done molting/growing, so they will not correct themselves.

I'm afraid I can't tell you why he keeps falling, unless maybe the damaged wings are throwing him off balance. Because they may impair his speed/mobility, I'd suggest offering him prey that's easy to catch. If you are feeding him roaches, maybe crush the heads first. The roach will still wiggle or even run around for a while - but will not burrow or run away and will be much easier to catch.

One possibility - if those caterpillars or any other prey items you are offering him are wild caught - is that the feeders may have been exposed to some sort of pesticide and then passed it along to him. That's why I prefer to only use storebought or home-raised feeders, rather than grabbing stuff from my yard or garden. While I keep my yard and garden pesticide-free, the neighbors do not - and the bugs can easily cross from one yard to the other.

 

[KevinsWither]

I think it probably mismolted. I do recommend hand feeding the mantis.

 

[MantisGirl]

Bump.

Please? I think he has gone blind. There is a film over his eyes and the little spots don't move any more. He is too weak to stand, he just topples over onto his side in my hand.

26 people have looked at this now! And not one has helped me! I think he is dying. If you know ANYTHING that might help, please say. He is too weak to even stand up.

Sorry to tell you this, but he *is* fully grown - otherwise he would not have wings. Mantis nymphs/juveniles can have little wing buds that serve as placeholders for the adult wings, but once they get full-sized wings like that, they're done growing. Unfortunately, you mantis appears to have had a bad final molt and his wings did not expand properly - but they have now hardened like that and will not straighten out. He is done molting/growing, so they will not correct themselves.

I'm afraid I can't tell you why he keeps falling, unless maybe the damaged wings are throwing him off balance. Because they may impair his speed/mobility, I'd suggest offering him prey that's easy to catch. If you are feeding him roaches, maybe crush the heads first. The roach will still wiggle or even run around for a while - but will not burrow or run away and will be much easier to catch.

One possibility - if those caterpillars or any other prey items you are offering him are wild caught - is that the feeders may have been exposed to some sort of pesticide and then passed it along to him. That's why I prefer to only use storebought or home-raised feeders, rather than grabbing stuff from my yard or garden. While I keep my yard and garden pesticide-free, the neighbors do not - and the bugs can easily cross from one yard to the other.

He is only four months old. They live to six. New developments: I think he has gone blind. There is a film over his eyes an the little dots don't move any more. When exposed to light in the morning, one eye stayed dark green and the other lightened. He has managed to shorten one anntenna by half. The other droops and will not stand up, so he keeps catching it between his arms. That may be what happened to the now shorter one. He is too weak to stand. He is lying in my palm like a dead spider, his legs curled underneath him.
It can't have been the caterpillars. He hasn't had one for months, I couldn't find any in the garden so late in the year.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

I'm no mantis expert but I have had a few before. If it's mature it won't molt again, it's wings look like those of a mature mantis. it may be coming to the end of its natural life, they stop eating when they start to die of natural causes. How long have you had it?

 

[MantisGirl]

I'm no mantis expert but I have had a few before. If it's mature it won't molt again, it's wings look like those of a mature mantis. it may be coming to the end of its natural life, they stop eating when they start to die of natural causes. How long have you had it?

Only four months of his six month lifespan. That is why I am so worried.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

Only four months of his six month lifespan. That is why I am so worried.

And you've had it since the day it hatched?

 

[MantisGirl]

And you've had it since the day it hatched?

I ordered him off Ebay. I think he was about a week old at the time - only a centimeter long.

 

[LawnShrimp]

Sorry to tell you this, but he's a male of T. sinensis and males only live for about four months. I'v kept this species for years since they are common where I live. I had 3 semi-captive males this summer and all died at least 2 months before the females did.

His wings could indicate a genetic defect or improper care. T. sinensis very rarely mismolt and this could be the effect of keeping a mantis too dry.

That looks like a female Tenodera sinensis to me. She is definitely an adult and at the end of her lifespan. I have kept this species for years and can tell you that they usually have a lifespan of much less than six months, although some females are technically alive for that length, they do not eat and eventually succumb to starvation or cold. Mantids often go blind before they die.

Her wings look like the effect of being kept far too dry or possibly a genetic defect. Mismolts could be a reason for an early death; something could have hardened wrong internally as well as the wings hardening wrong externally.

 

[MantisGirl]

Sorry to tell you this, but he's a male of T. sinensis and males only live for about four months. I'v kept this species for years since they are common where I live. I had 3 semi-captive males this summer and all died at least 2 months before the females did.

His wings could indicate a genetic defect or improper care. T. sinensis very rarely mismolt and this could be the effect of keeping a mantis too dry.

Oh.
I don't think his wing where from being too dry. If there where any problems with the humidity, it was keeping it down.

 

[LawnShrimp]

A while ago I kept 7 T. sinensis and T. angustipennis in jars with little humidity. Most molted to maturity fine except for one female who had crumpled wings and died before the others because she used her energy on an infertile ootheca. Otherwise, she was fully functional and a good eater. It could be that your mantis just had a hard time molting.

Another theory was that you fed him too much. Unless they are breeding, adult mantids should be fed large prey about once or twice a week or small prey more often than that. A constant input of food can cause their metabolism to overload and they can die early from that. Otherwise, diet should not be a problem and T. sinensis can handle a varied or unvaried diet.

I say that he was just at the end of his lifespan. I'm sorry for you and your pet. Hopefully the next mantis you get will be hardier. Hierodula sp. are very large and pretty mantids, and while unlike Tenodera they need high humidity, females can live for a full year if kept properly.

 

[MantisGirl]

Mantis dead. Thanks for your help, but too late.

A while ago I kept 7 T. sinensis and T. angustipennis in jars with little humidity. Most molted to maturity fine except for one female who had crumpled wings and died before the others because she used her energy on an infertile ootheca. Otherwise, she was fully functional and a good eater. It could be that your mantis just had a hard time molting.

Another theory was that you fed him too much. Unless they are breeding, adult mantids should be fed large prey about once or twice a week or small prey more often than that. A constant input of food can cause their metabolism to overload and they can die early from that. Otherwise, diet should not be a problem and T. sinensis can handle a varied or unvaried diet.

I say that he was just at the end of his lifespan. I'm sorry for you and your pet. Hopefully the next mantis you get will be hardier. Hierodula sp. are very large and pretty mantids, and while unlike Tenodera they need high humidity, females can live for a full year if kept properly.

I will look into longer living mantises.

 

[LawnShrimp]

Ah, that's a shame. They are such humanlike little creatures, aren't they? Always sad when they a mantis dies... they can't even look back at you like they are supposed to.

 

[MantisGirl]

That looks like a female Tenodera sinensis to me. She is definitely an adult and at the end of her lifespan. I have kept this species for years and can tell you that they usually have a lifespan of much less than six months, although some females are technically alive for that length, they do not eat and eventually succumb to starvation or cold. Mantids often go blind before they die.

Her wings look like the effect of being kept far too dry or possibly a genetic defect. Mismolts could be a reason for an early death; something could have hardened wrong internally as well as the wings hardening wrong externally.

I will make him as warm and comfortable as I can, then. (Definitely male).

 

[chanda]

Ah, that's a shame. They are such humanlike little creatures, aren't they? Always sad when they a mantis dies... they can't even look back at you like they are supposed to.

It is sad - but also an inevitable consequence of keeping short-lived species as pets. I just lost one of my scorpions (Arizona hairy desert scorpion) last night. Since it was wild-caught, I have no idea whether it was at the end of its lifespan - or if there was something else wrong. Still, I enjoyed it while I had it. I will try to catch another one the next time I visit my brother in Phoenix, and meanwhile I have ten other scorpions who are alive and well that I can continue to enjoy - and I am drying to corpse of the dead one so I can mount him in a shadow box, where my students and I can continue to appreciate him for years to come.

 

[LawnShrimp]

I will make him as warm and comfortable as I can, then. (Definitely male).

I thought it was female due to the short antennae (males have thicker antennae that are over 3cm in length), broad thorax, and paler green stripe on the wings. If you are sure it is a male, then this is also a likely cause of early death. My wild caught adult males often display some slight wing ruffles and have always died 2 months before the females do, though this is natural for this species.

 

[SolFeliz]

Sorry about your mantis. I had the same problem with no one replying when my roach started acting similar to your mantis, surprisingly. It did look like he was at the end of his life; insects tend to stop eating as they reach the end of their lives. As for the people saying you were to blame, I doubt it. It just looked like an old mantis sadly.