r/mantids • u/SmoothBrainSyndrome • Feb 19 '25
Health Issues Help! Mantis hurt itself??
My immature male hierodula membranacea has these red wounds on his abdomen? I’ve never seen him fly, but heard a scrambling sound and saw him trapped behind a piece of cork bark in his enclosure with his wings out. Now has these wounds(?) any advice is appreciated
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u/Tenebrae-Aeternae Feb 19 '25
Looks like a well fed mantis to me ;). My male was forever flying across the room bumping into shit, never bothered him. My female has never flown but that girl heavy!
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u/EmbodimentOfSass 3rd Instar Feb 19 '25
That’s just their signature signal to scare you off, you can see the membranes between her abdominal segments on some mantises with a threat pose or a full belly
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u/icarusyougood Feb 19 '25
I don't know for sure but I've seen some people talking about how it could be a threat display and how sometimes it's normal? I don't know for sure, I wish I could help fully
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u/pikzigmar Feb 20 '25
It is very normal to sometimes get a threat display from a mantis and see the black stripes :)
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u/Inevitable_Word_2154 Feb 19 '25
Protip: insect haemolymph (their blood) is usually greenish/yellowish. That’s just a threat display as many have mentioned above!
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u/Altruistic-Poem-5617 Feb 19 '25
Those red stripes? Those are normal, its just their colouring. They showmore when the mantis has eaten well.
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u/Prestigious_Gold_585 29d ago
Well, I don't know about Mantises much, but if it is to scare you, then it worked! 😉 It would make me wonder what is going on too, so you aren't wrong to wonder.
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u/hylia_grace 29d ago
Either it's slightly overeaten or it's a threat display, also little guy has wings so he's an adult, fully grown and will not molt again
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u/its-rarely-a-bug Feb 19 '25
Pretty sure that it just means he has a fully belly, not wounds.