I own a Praying Mantis right now and it seems pregnant and unactive, and i need help im scared for her..?

Question

Shes looks like a carlonia mantis and also i live in California it seems to be less active, falls alot now and i try feeding it, it wont eat, at the same time i do all that is needed for her but doesnt seem to want it if you can help me out that would mean alot to me

Answer 1

Read that link- it has a lot of info. I would agree with the fact when she gets ready to lay her egg sack, she will be sluggish. The only thing I can think of is for you to add heat. Heat may make her a bit more active. Do you see praying mantis poop? She could be compacted instead of pregant if there isn't any. In that situation, all you can do is make sure there is plenty of heat and humidity (a water dish and a leafy plant)

Answer 2

It's probably the time of year. They normally die in late autumn, and they need warmth to keep active and alive ...

Keep her warmer, make sure she's got plenty of food available. Don't leave crickets or grasshoppers in with her if she's not eating though, because if she's weak they might eat her legs and wings.

As you say she's falling a lot, I'd say that unfortunately she's close to death. She might be able to do the ootheca (egg sack) first, but not necessarily. Has she already done one?? Normally they do more than one. They don't normally eat the male after mating though - unless he hangs about too long afterwards! She eats bugs - and what is a male mantis if not a bug...!??!

Are her antennae drooping? That's another sign of impending doom, and so is the eyes ... if they start clouding over even in lighting when they'd normally have just those little pupil-like dots, then death is approaching.

If she's swollen fit to burst, then she might do an ootheca soon - give her a choice of places to put it, a twig with a forked bit, the roof of her container ... they like to select the best place, and get annoyed when they can't get out to explore! I've put a couple of old t-shirts folded up in the bottom of our mantid's container. I feel that when she starts to fall a lot, she'll be less hurt if she lands on something soft, and it's easier to clean out the poop etc. than with dried leaves.

You can get more advice here;
http://naturesbest.proboards3.com/index.cgi
You have to log-in, because there were problems with someone posting nonsense a while back. It's quiet at the moment, because most people's pet mantids have died already...

BTW, she isn't 'pregnant', she's just full of eggs. If she lives long enough she'll produce an egg-sack even if she hasn't mated, but it's unlikely that any tiny mantis nymphs will hatch out next Spring if she didn't mate.

Answer 3

I have had many mantis' before. They usually did this before they laid a huge chrysalis like thing full of eggs and then died. When I notice the eggs starting to hatch, I'd take the whole pen outside and let them go.

Answer 4

it might be she need to eat its own kind, that why they devour there mate after you know what.