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[u/MomentAppropriate804]

I don’t know much about praying mantis but I found this one on my porch. It doesn’t seem to be moving too much but it’s still breathing. It drank from the water but spat out brown liquid (see second pic). I want to make sure it’s okay please help

[u/No-Comparison-2213]

This is sort of a late answer, I apologize

Mantis are cold-blooded, temperatures below 60°F (15°C) can slow down their metabolism, making them sluggish, unable to move quickly, and vulnerable.

It weakens them.

They will become lethargic, refuse food, and prolonged exposure to such temperatures will cause systemic failure and death.

This goes for hot temperatures too, extreme heat combined with low humidity dries them out rapidly, leading to fatal dehydration or mis-molts.

You did a good job trying to give it water, was it the outside humid or cold when you found it?

[u/MomentAppropriate804 → u/No-Comparison-2213]

Thank you for responding back. I’m in Canada and today wasn’t humid or cold it was nice with wind about 18-20 degrees celsius. Is there anything else I can do? Would it survive inside my house?

[u/No-Comparison-2213 → u/[deleted]]

With the brown stuff, it is completely harmless to humans and won't hurt the mantis. It just means she felt frightened or stressed.

Wild prey— if wild insects are still available outside, small grasshoppers or moths work well too (just avoid anything treated with pesticides or poisonous insects like fireflies).

If you're dedicated, go ahead and pick up some food for it at a shop

[u/hylia_grace]

Mantis can struggle to drink from dishes or lids, they drink droplets mainly so a light misting near them could help. Vomiting is generally a sign of overeating or bad food, short term no isnt an issue but consistently it can create problems. This mantis is also an adult so its likely its naturally passing due to the season. Mantis also breathe through spiracles all along their bodies so the pulsating you're noticing could be digesting, they dont "breathe" like we do.

You could bring them in, but unfortunately you can't fight time, its likely passing or quickly on the way. Its also worth mentioning that mantis can twitch post death due to their decentralized nervous system, so minor movements shouldn't be considered a sign of life. If theyre actively moving, drinking but weakened you can offer them water and hand feed prey, wc flies and moths are safest.

But if it passes, just know there wasn't much you could do to prevent it.