Who killed my Mantis

[salden]

I have several mantis around. Three out by the driveway (the psychos) and two in the back yard near the pond. I can always count on them being in the area. I went out back to photograph the smaller mantis and I could not find him. I went around the bush and there he was .

Looks like he got his insides sucked right out of him.

[Planapo]

Sue, I don´t think you have to worry about this find!
It looks like exuviae to me and your mantis has just moulted and might be still around in a new exoskeleton.

--Betty

edit: Misspelling

[salden]

Thanks Betty . I am going back out and look for the little guy...well I suppose if this is what happened, he will not be that little anymore.

[Planapo]

Good luck with your search then!

And maybe you should look out for a bigger lady because judging from the cerci and no styli I can see in your picture ,I think , your "he" could in fact be a she.

--Betty

[MacroLuv]

I would like to find them at the moulting time.
Maybe they are doing that during the night?

[Ken Ramos]

I thought maybe an assassin or something of the sort had gotten a hold of it but you can see where the exoskeleton has split. Actually I did not know they did that sort of thing and actually I seldom see any around my neck of the woods. Must not be "holding my mouth right," as grand dad used to say.

[salden]

I thought maybe an assassin or something of the sort had gotten a hold of it but you can see where the exoskeleton has split. Actually I did not know they did that sort of thing and actually I seldom see any around my neck of the woods. Must not be "holding my mouth right," as grand dad used to say.

Yea, everytime something did not go right, it was always blamed on my mouth too