# millipede girl gone mantis



## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

hi everyone! I'm super new to anything mantis related and I'm loving this forum and trying to soak in as much information as possible. Right now, I've successfully killed two L4 Budwing mantids in a week so I'm having a pretty rough start.  Try not to be too hard on me, I've been strictly into millipedes for years so this is completely new to me. This is what I did, so feel free to point me in the right direction.

first of all this was my set up:







pretty much how they came.

then I added some sponge to keep up the humidity for molting:






it seemed to work out well but after a successful molt the mantis just quit eating and died.

the other mantis almost had a good molt but part of it's face and the tip of it's front arms were still in the old skin, so later that day it died.

what am I doing to these poor things?!

I'm feeding them d. hydei and small house flies.

I have larger cups for them but I was afraid to move them until they had a day or so after molting to dry.

I have 12, 16 and 24oz cups for them also.

and this is probably really dumb but I wasn't spraying their little vials because I didn't want to spray them but I was soaking the sponge and using a dropper on the paper towels to keep up the humidity.


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## revmdn (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. Before I offer any advice, you should check out the stickies and use the search. It's ok to spray them, just not hard or too much. I haven't kept budwings, so I'm not sure what kind of humidity they need. Sometimes younger mantids die or have bad molts for no apparent reasons. But don't forget to use some of the tools on the site. Good luck, don't get discouraged.


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

revmdn said:


> Welcome to the forum. Before I offer any advice, you should check out the stickies and use the search. It's ok to spray them, just not hard or too much. I haven't kept budwings, so I'm not sure what kind of humidity they need. Sometimes younger mantids die or have bad molts for no apparent reasons. But don't forget to use some of the tools on the site. Good luck, don't get discouraged.


thanks! I'm not giving up yet! I've pretty much spent all morning looking around and reading up on anything and everything here, it's awesome!


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## Rick (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome.


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

Rick said:


> Welcome.


nice to meet you!

I'll try to be a lesser annoying newb here, haha!


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## cloud jaguar (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome to the forum


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

Arkanis said:


> Welcome to the forum


Thank you!!


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## Orin (Jul 19, 2009)

Mantids aren't like millipedes: they are not capable of surviving very long with high humidity and low airflow. Make sure to use a cage with a screen lid or side. Good luck!


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## Katnapper (Jul 19, 2009)

vera_renczi said:


> I'll try to be a lesser annoying newb here, haha!


 :lol: I have a feeling you'll fit in just fine.  

Welcome to the forum... nice to have you here!  You're getting a great start browsing through past threads for info... that will help immensely.

I think Orin may have exactly identified your problem. If you're keeping them in the same containers they came in, that won't provide enough ventilation. Those containers usually have limited ventilation, and are designed just to provide safety during transit. You'll need to either modify the container lids to provide additional air flow, or use different containers/enclosures. Look in the Housing/Enclosures section for some ideas.  And best of luck!!  





Edit: Oh.... and spraying them directly won't harm them (unless you use a water pistol or fire hose of course). I usually spray their heads and upper bodies, and also the enclosure surface directly below and in front of them. They will clean the water off themselves and also bend down to drink from the enclosure surface. Some species drink more than others, but most will do well with a misting daily or every other day.


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## d17oug18 (Jul 19, 2009)

welcome im douglas and im from california


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

Orin said:


> Mantids aren't like millipedes: they are not capable of surviving very long with high humidity and low airflow. Make sure to use a cage with a screen lid or side. Good luck!


great advice! thanks so much!


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> :lol: I have a feeling you'll fit in just fine.  Welcome to the forum... nice to have you here!  You're getting a great start browsing through past threads for info... that will help immensely.
> 
> I think Orin may have exactly identified your problem. If you're keeping them in the same containers they came in, that won't provide enough ventilation. Those containers usually have limited ventilation, and are designed just to provide safety during transit. You'll need to either modify the container lids to provide additional air flow, or use different containers/enclosures. Look in the Housing/Enclosures section for some ideas.  And best of luck!!
> 
> ...


whoa I think we've found my problem! I really appreciate the help and advice. I have aluminum lids for the insect cups from mantisplace.com so I'll be sure to switch them over this time. again, thanks a ton for being so nice and helping me! I did check out the enclosures today, I've learned so much from this forum and the mantis is definitely way different from the millipedes that I'm so used to.


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## vera_renczi (Jul 19, 2009)

d17oug18 said:


> welcome im douglas and im from california


nice to meet you douglas! it's great having new friends that like insects as much as I do, people here in west virginia seem to think I'm a big weirdo :lol:


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## Kruszakus (Jul 19, 2009)

I thought the thread was about a female milipede morphing into a mantis or something. But it's nice to meet you nevertheless


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## [email protected] (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome to the forum.


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## ismart (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome!


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## bassist (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome from California


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## PhilinYuma (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome from Yuma!


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 19, 2009)

Kruszakus said:


> I thought the thread was about a female milipede morphing into a mantis or something. But it's nice to meet you nevertheless


haha me too! so WELCOME, welcome to our bug home! Your name wouldnt be Rebecca would it? ha!

Yea them babies need air and what stage did u get them, they look really young? Oh reread it, says 4th, they dont look it?


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## vera_renczi (Jul 20, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> haha me too! so WELCOME, welcome to our bug home! Your name wouldnt be Rebecca would it? ha! Yea them babies need air and what stage did u get them, they look really young? Oh reread it, says 4th, they dont look it?


I got them from Peter from bugsincyberspace.com and he said they were L4 but I'm so new at this I really have no way of knowing by looking at them. how sad is that? hahah


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 20, 2009)

Then u got a good deal, cause Peter knows what he's doing!!!


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## vera_renczi (Jul 20, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> Then u got a good deal, cause Peter knows what he's doing!!!


yes indeed! and I've got tons of enclosures, feeders and tools from your site too. Love it!


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## Stone (Jul 20, 2009)

Welcome, I'm Brandon from Virginia!


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## vera_renczi (Jul 20, 2009)

Stone said:


> Welcome, I'm Brandon from Virginia!


Nice to meet you!


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## AmandaLynn (Jul 21, 2009)

Welcome from Washington.


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