# Anyone else have this problem?



## Rick (Apr 8, 2010)

Adult female Gongy. Seems to have lost the grip in her four rear legs. She hangs mostly from the tips of her front legs. She started laying little clumps of foam and eggs as well. I had this same issue with two orchid females awhile back. She is being kept in a net cage and misted twice a day due to the high temps. Maybe I am keeping her too hot? The area is in the high 80's but the net cages are under a lamp making it over 100 easily. There are three males in the cage right next to her and they are all fine. LIke I said, had very similar issue with two female orchids. Both of those never laid a normal ooth and eventually died.


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## ismart (Apr 8, 2010)

I would think it may have to do with the heat. Seems like there tarsi is drying up and breaking off. Just a guess though.


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## fatal_mantis (Apr 8, 2010)

One of my male gongy's is having the same problem with his feet. They just stopped working a few days after he molted to adult. now he just hangs out at the bottom of the cage trying to climb up every now and then. The other two males in the same cage are all fine though.


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## sbugir (Apr 8, 2010)

Yeah, same here man. Except mine hasn't laid eggs yet, nonetheless the tarsi are broken, however it's only her front raptorial arms...

Quick question,

Did you mate yours yet? I don't want to detract from the topic, but mine aren't interested in each other.


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## plant (Apr 8, 2010)

Maybe it's old age? Mantids can lose the tips of their feet when they 're old and if it's laying many ootheca the last ones may come out deformed.


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## JoeCapricorn (Apr 8, 2010)

That doesn't explain this occurring just a few days after molting to adulthood though... Hmmm


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## sufistic (Apr 9, 2010)

How's the humidity Rick? I'm getting rather high temps here too 86-90 F and my Gongys are doing fine. The humidity here is also always high which I think probably balances everything out.


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## Rick (Apr 9, 2010)

She has been adult for a few weeks. SHe acted fine up until the last four days or so. She was mated right before acting weird. She got restless which can be normal near ooth time. She laid a tiny deformed ooth so far. I can move my sensor to look at the humidity. I turned the lamp overhead off due to the temps in the rest of the area being in the 80's already. Two layers of paper towels and I mist twice a day. Her diet is bluebottle flies that are fed honey. Thanks for the replies.


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## revmdn (Apr 9, 2010)

I'm having issues withe my females wings don't pump when they molt. My males fall and die when molting to adult  . I only have one male left.


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## yen_saw (Apr 9, 2010)

Sorry to hear that Martin  

Rick, i think the temperature is too high as well. Keep it around 85F or have some leaves as shade in the cage. She should lay a normal shape ooth.

I had a female laying weird ooth about a month ago.... :blink:


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## Rick (Apr 10, 2010)

Ok you get the award for craziest ooth Yen.

She did lay an ooth. It looks fairly normal. I will get a pic of it for you guys so you can see if you think it will hatch. I turned off the overhead light. That setup worked well during the winter but with the warmer temps outside that lamp isn't needed to keep things in the 80's.

Here is the ooth:


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## Rick (Apr 19, 2010)

Mantis appears to be normal since reducing the temperatures. When she started laying her second ooth she stopped halfway but resumed later. It necks down in the middle before continuing. I am not sure if either will hatch though they are fertile.


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