Praying mantis do not carry diseases, but these tiny insects are highly susceptible to infections by pathogenic organisms, like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. You can protect them from parasitic infections by maintaining a cleaner environment, as these deadly organisms are usually present in the soil.
Do Praying Mantis Have Parasites? Praying mantis have parasites present inside them or in the outer exoskeletons of their bodies, but only a few species are prone to attack of endo and ectoparasites. Hair worms and mites get inside their bodies through food and water consumption and can even cause their death.
Many living organisms experience parasitic infections in their lifecycle depending on the exposure to these microscopic or transparent organisms.
Why do praying mantis have parasites?
Several biological and ecological factors contribute to the susceptibility of praying mantis to parasites. These insects interact with the environment to fulfill their needs and become prone to infestations.
Infestations are the result of natural interactions of insects with their ecosystem because these parasites are usually present in water and soil and move to the host body for nutrition.
Moreover, these insects get infested after contact with infected prey, as many insects carry eggs and larvae of these parasitic organisms.
These eggs transfer to mantis and use their bodies as hosts to live, multiply, and seek nutrition. In addition, these insects are prone to infestations, as they share common habitats.
Both prefer to thrive and reproduce in highly humid places, which increases the likelihood of exposure and risk of infestations.
In the same way, they become prone to this infestation when they get sick, and their immune system gets weak due to several reasons, like genetic factors and external stress.
They interact with other mantises during mating or grooming activities and become susceptible to the transmission of parasites from one insect to another.
Parasites are naturally involved in the complex food webs and interact with various organisms at different stages of these food webs. It becomes a suitable host during predation activities.
How do parasites get into praying mantis?
Parasites can get into praying mantis through different ways; natural foraging behaviors, frequent interactions, and ecosystem.
One of the most common routes of infestation is a contaminated environment when a mantis reaches dirty places with eggs and larvae of these parasites.
Their eggs are usually in moist soil, moldy leaves, and other contaminated surfaces. So, it becomes susceptible to infestation after contact with such surfaces.
Moreover, these tiny eggs also reach their bodies after ingesting infected insects, like beetles and worms. They also get hairworms by ingesting crickets, grasshoppers, and cockroaches.
It is a potential means of transmission into the insect’s body when they eat insects infected with eggs and larvae of hairworms.
In addition, they also become hosts to some water-living worms when they eat water bodies for nutrition. Horsehair worms live and produce larvae in water, entering the insect’s body after ingestion.
However, some parasitic organisms hatch their larvae on the bodies of mantis that remain attached to the exoskeleton until development.
So, the entry route varies according to the type of parasites and the likelihood of exposure to the infested places, but usually, they get into the body through ingestion.
Are praying mantis infected with worms?
Some parasitic worms infect praying mantis and suck nutrients from their bodies. These worms include nematodes or roundworms with the potential to infest their bodies.
They can alter the host behavior by attacking the body, leading to a quick decline in strength, health, and immunity.
Moreover, the risk of nematode infection is higher in wild environments because they are usually present in the soil or plant roots.
A clean cage and controlled environment in captivity reduce the chances of exposure to these deadly parasitic organisms and increase their lifespan.
In addition, horsehair worms usually enter the praying mantis body from the water and feed on its body until the host dies, providing no nutrition to their bodies.
The young larvae of horsehair worms enter its body and grow into an adult inside the body. They come out of the bodies of dead mantis and find a new host in the surrounding areas.
How do you know if a praying mantis has parasites?
It is easy to detect parasites visually if they are present on the outer surface of the praying mantis body. Some fly larvae attach to its exoskeleton and are easily visible to the eyes.
However, it is challenging to know if the mantis is infected with microscopic endo-parasites. You can know about an internal infestation of parasitic larvae by observing changes in behavior.
These insects behave differently than usual because their activity rate reduces due to discomfort. A significant change in their appetite is a common sign of infestation.
Some physical changes also occur, like swelling of bodies, discoloration, and sometimes abnormal growths appearing on their bodies after an infestation.
In addition, excessive grooming and rubbing of bodies against the hard surface is also an obvious indicator of infestation, as these organisms irritate the body.
They cannot maintain the same activity rate and agile attacking behavior because the infestation leads to the disorientation of movement. They feel sluggish and spend more time in one place.
In the same way, their bellies appear larger or bulging due to the presence of parasitic organisms in their abdomen. Unusual biting and scratching of bodies is also a sign of an attack.
Furthermore, it is better to talk with an entomologist if you detect changes in their behavior and activity rate, as they can suffer from a severe infestation.
How common are parasites in praying mantis?
Parasitic attacks are common in praying mantis due to frequent exposure to infectious agents because their diet primarily involves the consumption of living organisms.
They usually live inside the host body until it is alive and leave the host when it dies. It shows that only living insects harbor these organisms and provide nutrients to them.
In the same way, they reject dead organisms and eat only living insects as they are natural predators. They prefer to hunt and kill their prey before devouring their bodies.
Accordingly, there are many chances of infestation through the ingestion of live insects. In addition, they serve as ideal hosts due to their shorter lifespan, distribution, and eating behavior.
These insects usually reach water surfaces and plants frequently, which increases the likelihood of direct exposure to these parasitic organisms.
Different flies, mites, ticks, nematodes, protozoa, and other organisms usually infest their bodies and get nutrition for development.
The mites attach to the outer side of their bodies, like legs and antennae, and cause severe irritation on the body. They can spread in their population when they interact with each other.
Ticks are ectoparasites of mantis and feed on the blood, but they do not frequently infest their bodies and attack other animals.
However, these organisms suck body fluids and nutritional elements until their host dies. They leave a host’s body when survival becomes difficult without water and food.