My mantis is worrying me, again!

[River Dane]

I once had a mantis (L4) go two weeks without food while my friend was watching her because they ran out of fruit flies. Of course, you should never intentionally try to replicate these results. 

As long as your mantis is still plump, she should be fine. The more you try to force feed her, the longer she’ll delay her molt, from what I’ve observed with my own mantids. I would suggest leaving her alone for several days, and if she starts to get skinny again, you can try feeding a little more.

Good luck!

 

[loislane]

I once had a mantis (L4) go two weeks without food while my friend was watching her because they ran out of fruit flies. Of course, you should never intentionally try to replicate these results. 

As long as your mantis is still plump, she should be fine. The more you try to force feed her, the longer she’ll delay her molt, from what I’ve observed with my own mantids. I would suggest leaving her alone for several days, and if she starts to get skinny again, you can try feeding a little more.

Good luck!

Ok, that's reassuring! Thanks, I'll stop meddling with her for now

 

[Graceface]

Keep her hydrated through misting and give her time. Hopefully, she will molt soon! Keep us updated on her progress

 

[MantisGirl13]

Well, her dropping her prey could be a sign that she will molt soon, so keep caring for her and hopefully she'll molt!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

Hopefully your mantis will molt soon and will eat again.

 

[msteacher]

I'm a beginner so take this with a grain of salt, but my S. Aurea just completed her final molt and she did not eat for maybe 5 days beforehand. The day after she scarfed down two big crickets and is back to normal now. So it could be a molting thing in my very limited experience  

 

[loislane]

Thanks everyone! We're on to day 7 since her last cricket today. She's moved to a different position in her cage but still no molt. I put some crickets in with her, she saw one but made no move to get it.... so, the wait continues!

 

[MantisGirl13]

How flat is her abdomen? Can we see pics of her and her enclosure?

- MantisGirl13

 

[loislane]

How flat is her abdomen? Can we see pics of her and her enclosure?

- MantisGirl13

Here's some pics...

 

[MantisGirl13]

Here's some pics...

View attachment 11659

View attachment 11660

View attachment 11661

If she has not eaten in days and she is still fat like that, she is definitely going to molt soon. She is perfectly fine, just make sure that she is higher off of the ground when she does molt so that she does not mismolt. She will be fine without eating for a few more days so she can molt.

- MantisGirl13

 

[loislane]

Thank you! I think she looks a bit fatter in those pics than in real life but maybe that's because I've zoomed in so can actually see her better... I'm never good at judging if she looks fat or skinny, lol!

 

[MantisGirl13]

 Yeah, just leave her alone until she molts or gets too skinny. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[loislane]

One of the crickets I put in there earlier ran past her on the stick and she just swiped at it loads til it was gone, so I'm going try to be patient and give her space to molt without me or crickets bothering her! Thanks so much for the reassurance ?

 

[Mantis Lady]

My freshly molted female mantis lookes skinnier than yours.   Your mantis will be fine. but you need to be be sure she hangs higher than on the pic, or she will be getting a mismolt.

Good luck on her molt.

 

[loislane]

She died. I got up this morning to find her laying on the floor of her cage. She was twitching her limbs a little when I touched her but she wouldn't eat and things looked pretty bad, I think she was pretty much dead, so I've put her in the freezer. So sad ?

 

[Mantis Lady]

awww, sorry for your loss, ? it is sad that she died.

 

[MantisGirl13]

I am so sorry! I thought she would be fine, but I guess something was wrong. 

- MantisGirl13