# is my mantis sick or dying



## Zenythcatt

I went to check on my mantids last night, the 2 hermans looked fine, hanging upside down, abdomens still a bit plump from their last meal. 

But my ghost mantis, percy was on the ground D:. he couldn't walk but he was moving ever so slightly. his abdomen was thin, so I tried to encourage him to eat something. fly was out of the question so I tried cat food, then the jelly from the cat food. he nibbled at both but i wasn't sure if he was getting it down so I took a cotton swab soaked the water i use to mist his enclosure and he drank that. 
He gained some more movement in his front legs and looked like he had a bit more energy, but during the night he went still again. At one point I thought he had died and accepted it but after checking again an hour or so later he was moving. 

Is he sick or are this mantid death throws?. I know they don't live long, I had him since may 10th, I wasn't sure what instar he was since he was advertised as L3/L4. But I'm pretty sure he was L3. 
His current state he looks like his wings were developing, one more moult and I think he would have been an adult. .

here are some pictures. the pose he is in.









here is a shot of his wing buds, if it might help determine his instar.


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## vivalabam

Looks like he is dying sorry to say.  

He could have slipped during a moult, his wing buds look seriously swollen and so does his abdomen.


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## Zenythcatt

I wondered if he fell and possibly broke his back legs, he gained some movement in them when I gave him the water last night but now he's just as lethargic. so do you think he looks like he is the instar before adult? because the wings aren't/werent fully developed during his last moult.


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## vivalabam

Zenythcatt said:


> I wondered if he fell and possibly broke his back legs, he gained some movement in them when I gave him the water last night but now he's just as lethargic. so do you think he looks like he is the instar before adult? because the wings aren't/werent fully developed during his last moult.


Look like he could be the moult before, they usually get 2 sets of wing buds on each side before the moult to adult.


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## Zenythcatt

aw poor little might : (, how long can ghosts survive without food? I fed him but it had been a few days, since he has been fussy with his food. I just want to know I haven't starved him to death :gasp: 

but it was lovely having him, I will definitly be getting another ghosty :3.


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## vivalabam

Zenythcatt said:


> aw poor little might : (, how long can ghosts survive without food? I fed him but it had been a few days, since he has been fussy with his food. I just want to know I haven't starved him to death :gasp:
> 
> but it was lovely having him, I will definitly be getting another ghosty :3.


They can go weeks without food, were you misting him? The males seem to like drinking more than the females. 

Were you feeding flying food? Ghosts prefer things that fly, but can be fed on any food. Just in time when they get fussy flying food goes down a treat. :lol2:

If he was rejecting food it sounds as if he was coming up for a moult.


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## Zenythcatt

my mum just suggested something interesting, could he have gotten a bit too cold? I did fall a little behind in my misting. Which is probably why he willingly drank that water I gave him last night. 
My room isn't the warmest but i can't say it's the coldest either but the weather hasn't been very spectacular here recently either.


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## vivalabam

Zenythcatt said:


> my mum just suggested something interesting, could he have gotten a bit too cold? I did fall a little behind in my misting. Which is probably why he willingly drank that water I gave him last night.
> My room isn't the warmest but i can't say it's the coldest either but the weather hasn't been very spectacular here recently either.


Doubt it, ours didn't even have heat mats on in winter. none of mine do now either and they are all fine. 

Mantids are generally quite hardy when it comes to temperature and it's not freezing at the moment.


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## Zenythcatt

hmm well poop, I don't think I have starved him, I last fed him a green bottle on the 16th and another smaller one on the 18th. 
could just be his time . I will miss him.


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## vivalabam

Zenythcatt said:


> hmm well poop, I don't think I have starved him, I last fed him a green bottle on the 16th and another smaller one on the 18th.
> could just be his time . I will miss him.


No, it wouldn't have been food, ours have gone weeks without food when we went away on holiday.


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## Zenythcatt

again I wonder if he was about to get ready to moult but because I fell behind in misting it wasn't humid enough? took a nasty slip and fall. 
Though he can move them a little, his back legs stay bent like that, which makes me wonder if he has broken them.


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## Hedgewitch

Zenythcatt said:


> again I wonder if he was about to get ready to moult but because I fell behind in misting it wasn't humid enough? took a nasty slip and fall.
> Though he can move them a little, his back legs stay bent like that, which makes me wonder if he has broken them.


I doubt he's broken his legs, However, if it is/was a moult that went wrong once it's started they can loose function in the legs as the new legs inside start to move.


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## PESKY

im gunna be blunt-

its dying/dead if its not already, put it out its misery


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