# Emergency Mismolt Situation



## PowerHobo (Nov 2, 2018)

I screwed up. Long story short I got a new L4 spiny flower mantis yesterday, and I didn't put her straight into a new container. I left her in the bone dry 2/3oz deli cup that she came in overnight and today while I was at work, so naturally she decided to molt. I walked in (specifically to rehome her, ironically), and found her on the bottom of the cup, so she already fell at the least. She appears to have molted abdomen first, and not split up the back like I'm used to seeing. Her abdomen is the only thing that's free. Her rear walking legs are part-way out and so pretty much useless. She appears to still have full articulation of her raptorial legs and at least partial articulation in her front walking legs.

I tried to hook her rear legs onto the tulle lid of her new container but with absolutely no success, so I basically held her upside-down by the shed portions of the rear legs for 20 minutes. She did the molt wiggle the whole time but I really couldn't see any progress. Realizing it's bone dry in my room, I tried to get her onto the tulle again, and this time managed to get her front walking legs hooked on, but still nothing for her rear legs, so I've admittedly panicked and used tiny bits of tape to secure them to the lid so she's now hanging in a semi-natural molting position, and in a nice humid container. She's still doing the molt wiggle, though intermittently, with longer breaks.

Is there anything more I can possibly do to help her out, or did I essentially just kill this mantis through inaction?


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## Synapze (Nov 3, 2018)

I know this response is late, but it sounds like you have already helped as much as you can. I suggest leaving her alone for now... sometimes that is the best thing you can do. 

Hope she made it through the night.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 3, 2018)

I am so sorry! I had a violin mismolt last night so I know what you are going through! I don't believe that you can save your mantis, sadly, though I really need a picture to tell. How is it now?

- MantisGirl13


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## cwebster (Nov 3, 2018)

Am sad to hear about the mismolts. I always feel so helpless when a mantis musmolts. Sometimes i have tried moistening the mismolted limbs so they dont harden in weird positions but unless they have just molted it doesnt help. Will hope for tge best for your mantises. I guess they are explosive breeders with so many young from each ooth because they sadly are subject to so many molting issues and are subject to so much predation in the wild. Mantises are so intelligent and personable that i feel they deserve better longer lives.


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## hysteresis (Nov 3, 2018)

cwebster said:


> Mantises are so intelligent and personable that i feel they deserve﻿﻿﻿ better longer lives.


@cwebster  ain't that the truth? 

I swear at breakfast time when I take the lid off, our Lola wiggles and paws like a puppy at feeding time!


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## PowerHobo (Nov 3, 2018)

She made it through the night, but she has clearly lost any meaningful use of any of her limbs. She can move her raptorial arms and rear legs, but not enough to hang herself without the aid of that tape I mentioned. She's still fairly feisty if handled in any way she doesn't like.

I honestly don't know at this point whether I should try to feed her fruit flies by hand through this next 3-4 weeks or just give her the freezer treatment.


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## Synapze (Nov 3, 2018)

PowerHobo said:


> I honestly﻿﻿ don't know at this point whether I should try to feed her fruit flies by hand ﻿through this next 3-4 weeks or just give her the freezer treatment.


Have you considered using a small feeding cup? It would probably make it easier for her to capture prey. If she shows interest in food, it might be worth giving her a little more time. 

If she makes it to the next molt, some tulle (very fine mesh - very cheap) can help. I had a Chinese have a terrible mismolt and lost both tarsi. She was able to use the tulle to make climbing with her raptorials easier. My Chinese somehow managed to hook her legs in the mesh and she molted fine. Her hind legs never straightened completely, but she was able to molt to adulthood. Might be worth a shot, but ultimately you'll have to do what you think best.


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 3, 2018)

Is she eating? If she does you can try to fight for her till her next molt and do what Synapze did with his mantis and hope for the best. But you need to the decide what is best for her..

Can you show a pic how she looks now?


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 3, 2018)

Synapze said:


> Have you considered using a small feeding cup? It would probably make it easier for her to capture prey. If she shows interest in food, it might be worth giving her a little more time.
> 
> If she makes it to the next molt, some tulle (very fine mesh - very cheap) can help. I had a Chinese have a terrible mismolt and lost both tarsi. She was able to use the tulle to make climbing with her raptorials easier. My Chinese somehow managed to hook her legs in the mesh and she molted fine. Her hind legs never straightened completely, but she was able to molt to adulthood. Might be worth a shot, but ultimately you'll have to do what you think best.


He already uses tulle:



PowerHobo said:


> I tried to hook her rear legs onto the tulle lid of her new container


But good tip anyway!

- MantisGirl13


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## PowerHobo (Nov 4, 2018)

I tried to feed her this afternoon, and she seemed interested, but wasn't quite getting the job done. I checked her out under a macro lens and could see that her mandibles and palps were struggling to move but seemed to be as bound up as her legs. I couldn't let her keep suffering.

I appreciate the tips, everyone.


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## Synapze (Nov 4, 2018)

@MantisGirl13 Thanks for the correction.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 4, 2018)

Synapze said:


> @MantisGirl13 Thanks for the correction.


   Sure! 



PowerHobo said:


> I tried to feed her this afternoon, and she seemed interested, but wasn't quite getting the job done. I checked her out under a macro lens and could see that her mandibles and palps were struggling to move but seemed to be as bound up as her legs. I couldn't let her keep suffering.
> 
> I appreciate the tips, everyone.


Did you end up freezing her?

- MantisGirl13


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## PowerHobo (Nov 4, 2018)

Eh... something significantly more horrible than that involving my Malaysian dead leaf.

i feel a bit bad about it, but nature and all that.


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## Synapze (Nov 4, 2018)

PowerHobo said:


> Eh... something significantly more horrible than that involving my Malaysian dead leaf.
> 
> i feel a bit bad about﻿ it, but ﻿nature and all that.


Waste not, want not. Nature's plan... you shouldn't feel bad in my opinion.


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## Prayingmantisqueen (Nov 4, 2018)

If it's gonna die anyway, feed it to someone whose hungry! Don't feel too bad.


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 4, 2018)

PowerHobo said:


> I checked her out under a macro lens and could see that her mandibles and palps were struggling to move but seemed to be as bound up as her legs. I couldn't let her keep suffering.


if she can't eat, it is the best for her to let her go.


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