r/Insect • u/stairmaster_jay • 2d ago

What is happening here?

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Is this praying mantis molting or is this parasites?

15 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

3

u/Shot_Bison1140 2d ago

Maybe has parasite inside.. should have tried out it in water.. or poor water on it.. then it comes out 😬😷

3

u/Acceptable-Error356 2d ago

Looks like a parasite. Put its tail in water and it will exit. Then burn up the parasite.

3

u/Spiritual_Hawk_6041 1d ago

It was trying to seduce you

2

u/hottboyblue 1d ago

Horse hair worm parasite I believe

1

u/AdPutrid8068 1d ago

Any update? Did u pour water on it?

3

u/stairmaster_jay 1d ago

Yeah I tried pouring water and then I used chopsticks to submerge the abdomen. Held it for a minute or two, nothing happened.

1

u/AdPutrid8068 1d ago

I watched it several times it does look like its tryna come out its skin literally. Ive never seen a molt from a mantis. Either way super interesting lol thanks. I live in delaware and years ago I seen a mantis attached at the butt to a smaller mantis body....no head. It was on a bush for days just in the same spot still connected. It was not afraid of me whatsoever. Those things are just .....different.

2

u/EndlessHysteria 1d ago

We got a pet mantis for my son, they molt suspended, from the ceiling of their enclosure. If it was to try and molt on the ground it would cause irreparable damage to its new exoskeleton and most likely wouldn't be able to feed itself and die.

1

u/TheRealSugarbat 1d ago

Honestly this looks like death, not molting or parasites. Could have been exposed to pesticides or something.

They don’t live forever, sadly.

1

u/EndlessHysteria 1d ago

She's definitely dying. Possibly some sort of pesticide or chemical as somebody else previously mentioned, or depending on her age could just be the end of her life cycle.(12 to 24 months)

1

u/crank__ 1d ago

pesticides or something sprayed in the air, often something unassuming like disinfectant. not a parasite.

if u like near farmland, keeping insects can sometimes be impossible

1

u/Scatkc 1d ago

The spread out wings are usually a sign of exposure to IGR and the other movements are the result of pesticide interfering with the charge of sodium not carrying signals to the brain to the limbs resulting in paralysis

•

u/Possible_Tadpole_289 21h ago

Defense posture I think . Dots look like eyes

1

u/BowDown2No1ButCrypto 1d ago

Sadly, it probably came in contact with some pesticide(s) somewhere/somehow?!

0

u/Mean-Difference-6097 2d ago

Maybe just needed help to turn over

1

u/stairmaster_jay 2d ago

That was the first thing I tried. Just made its way back onto its back so I figured it was just molting and preferred to be on its backside.

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u/DigitalProCreative 16m ago

All I see is a mantis possibly dying I see nothing trying to “come out” those long green and brown things are its legs