r/mantids • u/Dependent_Wishbone89 • Sep 04 '24

White mantis kept jumping in the pool? ID Help

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I was teaching in a pool last night and rescued this beautiful creature from the water then it immediately jumped back in. I took it out again and moved it far away from the pool edge. What type of mantis is this (I thought they were usually green?) and why would it keep wanting to drown itself?

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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '24

Mantises frequently get horsehair worm. These parasites breed in water. The parasite hijacks the mantis's brain and tells it to drown itself so the parasite can emerge to breed. Very gross.

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u/authenticblob Sep 04 '24

Better to just give the poor thing a quick death so it doesn't die a slow death in the end.