# Egg bound female (?) and L4 male not molting.



## dgerndt (Jan 15, 2011)

Hello, all! So I have a really really really round female Egyptian mantis, and I'm wondering if she might be egg bound. I saw her trying to lay an ooth a few days ago, but all that came out were a few loose eggs with no ooth. She's still eating and drinking, but I'm worried. She's almost as big as she was when she laid her first ooth, and this is going to be ooth number 5. I have no idea how old she is exactly, as I got her as an adult.

I also have an L4 male Egyptian mantis that should have molted almost two weeks ago. He lost a leg with his last molt, so is it taking longer because he's growing is leg back? His sister molted right on schedule and she's getting close to molting again. I'm getting worried. He's my only male and my only green Egyptian. I don't want him to die!


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 15, 2011)

The male will prob be ok, they do not molt together most times, and the female is not egg bound, just getting old.


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## dgerndt (Jan 16, 2011)

Well then I've been lucky; all my mantids have been molting pretty much at the same time. Usually within one or two days of one another.

 Aw, I wish mantids lived longer. I don't want to lose my pet yet!


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## dgerndt (Jan 29, 2011)

Sorry to breathe life into this dead post, but I'm almost positive my female is egg bound. She's a straw colored Egyptian, so I can see food go down her thorax and into her abdomen. Recently, it hasn't been making it down to her abdomen; I can see it stuck in her thorax. I also witness her trying to lay eggs on almost a daily basis. Is there anything I can do to help, or do I just have to wait until she dies?


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 29, 2011)

I dont know of anything that will help her.


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## dgerndt (Jan 29, 2011)

I feel so bad just letting her suffer.  I barely want to feed her because I don't want her abdomen to split.


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## PhilinYuma (Jan 29, 2011)

This is a sad fact of life with mantids, Deby. The good news is that she won't "split" and she's not wired to experience suffering in the sense that we do, but she will soon be in the arms of the Great Mantis Goddess (BbHN). I usually let them live out their lives as they would outside, but some people prefer the freezer to provide a quick. painless ending


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## dgerndt (Jan 29, 2011)

Aw, I feel like I might cry. Poor Cleopatra. I guess I'll just try to make her comfortable, and try to feed her some honey; she always enjoys that.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 30, 2011)

I have had a few of my mantis split, lucky you to of not had it happen Phil, when that happens, I do turn to the freezer.  Just the other day, I put in a lineola, she was looking fine, huge,but fine, but had an awful big appetite, and I just felt before it got worse I needed to end it. She was never satified with a couple crickets and I felt bad for not givin her more.


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## dgerndt (Jan 30, 2011)

I've put a towel over half of her screen lid and added some damp paper towels to her tank in an attempt to raise the humidity. I'm hoping that might help her lay her eggs.


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## Findarato (Jan 31, 2011)

Deby said:


> I've put a towel over half of her screen lid and added some damp paper towels to her tank in an attempt to raise the humidity. I'm hoping that might help her lay her eggs.


I guess that is the only thing you can do. I hope it helps your Cleopatra.


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## dgerndt (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks. It did raised the humidity quite a bit, so now all I can do is wait and hope for the best.


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