Do Praying Mantis Poop? (7 Interesting Facts)

If you are considering taking up a praying mantis as a pet, you will want to know whether praying mantises poop – and if yes, how their poop looks, how to clean mantis poop and so on.

There are also those who may just want to know about mantis poop out of pure curiosity. Read on, to find out more about mantis poop.

Do Praying Mantis Poop?

Do praying mantis poop? Yes, like most other organisms in the animal kingdom, praying mantises do poop.

The poop that organisms like praying mantises (insects) produce is specifically known as frass.

So yes, praying mantis do poop.

How Does A Praying Mantis Poop?

So far, we have learnt that like most other organisms in the animal kingdom, praying mantises poop. This leads to a question: exactly how do praying mantises poop?

And the answer is that praying mantises poop by opening up their anal openings, and letting out the waste (which is actually a combination of fecal matter and what we would refer to as ‘urine’).

What Does Praying Mantis Poop Look Like?

Normally, when a praying mantis poops, the poop will be in the form of small solid pellets.

There are also scenarios in which the mantis poop comes out in liquid form. Thus if my mantis is spraying some liquid from its anal opening, I would know that this too is a form of poop, possibly diarrhea.

In terms of color, the poop can be dark (due to the blood of the eaten insects). It can also be lighter in color, especially if the mantis is unwell. Thus, for instance, you may find the praying mantis poop white (and liquid).

Thus with regard to what is the black stuff that comes out of a praying mantis, this is often poop. It is dark due to the blood from the insects eaten by the mantis.

How Often Do Praying Mantis Poop Daily?

Usually, praying mantises poop every other day or so.

Remember, these are not insects that eat continually. A baby praying mantis may only eat once per day or once per two days. An adult mantis that has stopped growing may eat just twice or so per week.

Since they don’t eat so frequently, they also don’t poop very frequently. Usually, they may poop every other day, rather than daily.

What Can You Infer From Mantises Poop?

The main thing you can infer from praying mantis poop is whether or not the mantis is in a good state of health.

For instance, if you find that it has liquid poop, which looks like diarrhea, you need to know that it may be unwell.

If the mantis is pooping as regularly as it should, you know that it is probably feeding well. Conversely if the mantis stops pooping completely, you know something may be amiss.

Sometimes, the poop itself can be a cause of problems. For instance, if my mantis has what I assume is poop that seems stuck for a while, I would know that it could be causing the mantis some agony.

Can Praying Mantis Poop On You?

Having said that praying mantises do poop, but they only do it once in a while, some interesting questions may arise. Among those is a funny one: can a praying mantis poop on you?

The answer is that the odds of a mantis pooping on you are quite low. But yes, if you happen to be handling the mantis when its urge to poop strikes, it may just end up pooping on you.

Another related question here would be: are praying mantis poop safe to touch? And the answer is that whereas they are not venomous, they can nonetheless be dirty, with pathogens in them.

So it is best to avoid touching them directly. If you do come into contact with mantis poop, then at least wash the hands thoroughly with soap thereafter.

How To Clean Praying Mantis Poop?

Ideally, the enclosure in which you are keeping the pet mantis should have some sort of substrate on the floor.

The substrate plays a key role, when it comes to praying mantis poop maintenance. So when it comes to cleaning the mantis poop, you just sweep off the substrate with the poop in it. Then you put in place fresh substrate.

Final Verdict – Do Praying Mantis Poop

Praying mantises do poop. Their poop, like all other insect poop, is formally known as ‘frass’.

The poop that praying mantises produce is often in pellet form. But it can sometimes also be liquid.

From the mantis poop, you can make inferences on the insect’s state of health. The poop, as well as pooping frequency, may also tell you whether the mantis is eating properly.

Part of mantis care is that of cleaning the poop regularly. This is something you should do at least every other day.

In the mantis enclosure, there should be some sort of substrate material. So it is this substrate that (along with the poop in it), you should sweep off every other day. Then replace it with fresh substrate.

If your praying mantis consistently produces very odd-looking poop, or it stops pooping altogether, it may be a sign that the mantis is unwell.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet mantis a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️