# Top 10 Signs your mantid is about to MOLT!!



## GreenBean (Nov 8, 2010)

Ok, before anyone redirects me towards an older thread, I've already been there, done that, and simply don't have time to re-read EVERY post about molting, so answer if you feel like it, and if you don't, feel free to just pass this right by:

Here is what I have gathered in a very general way about mantid PMS (you got it...Pre-Molting Syndrome):

Bug ceases to eat, slows down, starts hanging from back feet (if he/she still has them) with forearms in prayer position (no doubt asking the great Mantess Goddess for a healthy molt). But, I have been fooled about imminent molt many a time while keeping close vigil, observing these very things. SO, my question to YOU is, are there any BETTER ways to tell? (For what it's worth, my mantids are limited to US species--chinese, european, californian, the usual).

Thanks!!


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## PhilinYuma (Nov 8, 2010)

Oops. Double post (one is enough!).


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## PhilinYuma (Nov 8, 2010)

Someone may have a great tip that I have never heard of, but you seem to have covered it very well. If you are keeping siblings, the molting of one should give you a tip to expect it in others, and if you keep better records than I, you can refer to previous experience with a given species.

I find that by feeding no more than one flying insect or roach at a time, I minimize the danger to the mantis if I fail to notice an imminent molt. There is a lot of unsupported nonsense talked about the perils of feeding crix, but the danger of a bunch of the hungry fellers in a cage with a molting mantis is well documented. Even this danger can be reduced by feeding dog or cat food to the crix and feeding no more than one at a time.

For those who can afford them, there is a special molting indicator. It looks like this:







I hope that this helps!


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## PeterF (Nov 8, 2010)

excellent Phil.


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## Rick (Nov 9, 2010)

Once you are experienced you just know. Everybody knows about refusal of food and all that. What most newbie's won't pick up on are the subtle signs that only an experienced eye can see. One day you will see what I mean as it is kind of hard to describe here.


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## JoeCapricorn (Nov 9, 2010)

One thing I did when I started out was keep records of each molt my mantises did. I'd post it in my "Mantis Update Thread" each time that would happen and be like, "Yay, Fortune molted successfully!" or "Meek is now a sub-adult!", etc... This allowed me to look at the average days between molts and I could predict when a molt would occur based on how much time passed since the last molt. However, this alone is not good enough.

The refusing food thing is an important sign to look for. One test I do is if I feel a mantis is near molting is put him or her near my computer screen. I start up MSPaint and move a large dot around the screen. If they try to catch that dot, they are hungry, so I feed them. If not, I skip feeding them, place netting on the top of their cage and keep a close eye on them. Sometimes, rarely, they show signs of hunger and eat again, their molt actually occurring much later than I had anticipated. However, most of the time a refusal of chasing the dot means a molt is near and typically occurs within 72 hours of this test.

With early instars, the molting process occurs much faster. They might stop eating suddenly one day and molt the next. Later instars, the process takes longer, and the molt from sub-adult to adult can be an excruciating wait that often involves waking up, checking mantis and then being like, "STILL NOT YET? AGHHHHHH!!!!"

In later instars, especially sub-adult and sub-sub-adult, the wing buds start to thicken and fan out leading up to the molt. In sub-adults, this bulging can be quite dramatic. In large species, there can be distinct patterns seen in the wing buds that grow more prominent as the molt itself nears - for example in P. wahlbergii the '9' swirl gets a bit larger and darker, overall coloration becomes quite dramatic.

In some mantises, a change of behavior occurs in the time leading up to a molt. Sometimes they may be more aggressive than usual, or less active and easier to startle.


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## PhilinYuma (Nov 10, 2010)

Rick said:


> Once you are experienced you just know. Everybody knows about refusal of food and all that. What most newbie's won't pick up on are the subtle signs that only an experienced eye can see. One day you will see what I mean as it is kind of hard to describe here.


Very true. It's not just that they don't eat, they look "molty". When I started, I saw a comment by Peter Clausen that when his mantids are ready to molt he puts them on the top shelf and wondered how the heck he knew when to do that. Now, when mine are ready to molt, I put them aside (to avoid feeding them) without thinking about it.Sometimes I'm wrong, but not often!


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## GreenBean (Nov 10, 2010)

The refusing food thing is an important sign to look for. One test I do is if I feel a mantis is near molting is put him or her near my computer screen. I start up MSPaint and move a large dot around the screen. If they try to catch that dot, they are hungry, so I feed them. If not, I skip feeding them, place netting on the top of their cage and keep a close eye on them. Sometimes, rarely, they show signs of hunger and eat again, their molt actually occurring much later than I had anticipated. However, most of the time a refusal of chasing the dot means a molt is near and typically occurs within 72 hours of this test.

*NOW we're getting scientific...the "Screen Dot Test." Fabulous!!*

With early instars, the molting process occurs much faster. They might stop eating suddenly one day and molt the next. Later instars, the process takes longer, and the molt from sub-adult to adult can be an excruciating wait that often involves waking up, checking mantis and then being like, "STILL NOT YET? AGHHHHHH!!!!"

*Yes, and it is exactly this psychological torture which prompted my post in the first place. You understand my pain....*

In later instars, especially sub-adult and sub-sub-adult, the wing buds start to thicken and fan out leading up to the molt. In sub-adults, this bulging can be quite dramatic. In large species, there can be distinct patterns seen in the wing buds that grow more prominent as the molt itself nears - for example in P. wahlbergii the '9' swirl gets a bit larger and darker, overall coloration becomes quite dramatic.

*Now, THIS is good. I think I am seeing this right now in fact.*

In some mantises, a change of behavior occurs in the time leading up to a molt. Sometimes they may be more aggressive than usual, or less active and easier to startle.

*Curious. I will look for this. *

*Thanks a ton!!*


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## GreenBean (Nov 10, 2010)

_*Phil,*_

_*Regarding your Clear Blue proposal: You have a fine idea here; however, I would present a shortcoming with this otherwise surefire testing method: a quantitatively inadequate urine sample. *_


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## dgerndt (Nov 10, 2010)

Green Bean said:


> _*Phil,*_
> 
> _*Regarding your Clear Blue proposal: You have a fine idea here; however, I would present a shortcoming with this otherwise surefire testing method: a quantitatively inadequate urine sample. *_


lol! And the fact that it says "Pregnant", not "Molting Today".


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## MrPitseleh (Nov 10, 2010)

Does anyone know if a critter keeper cage roof has Enough grip to it for a mantis that is molting or should you always, to be safe, use a net if you see that your mantis is about to molt like JoeCapricorn said?


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## GreenBean (Nov 11, 2010)

Mr. Pitseleh,

Here's an idea for your "Critter Cage": I have tried various enclosures, the best of which is homemade with wood, staple gun, and soft screening. However, I have a ton of critter cages that I wanted to use and not have to throw away, but they suck as far as giving the mantis some "grip" to climb upwards. SO, I spent many sleepless nights on trying to solve this and here's what I came up with that works like an absolute charm:

1. Wash/dry cage thoroughly.

2. Get yourself some clear, non-toxic glue (Elmer's makes one) that is not easily water soluble, but can be washed once dry with soap and water and a small amount of elbow grease. (There are also non-toxic permanent glues if you prefer. Just make sure that in addition to being nontoxic, glue also has no noxious smell.)

3. Get some hermit crab sand at your local pet store in whatever color is closest to your bug. Mine are all golden or bright green, both colors I was able to find easily in hermit crab sand. OH, and I have one rose-colored mantid in which case I created a rose-colored sand by mixing white sand with red wine and let it dry out.) These sands are non-toxic and made of calcium carbonate, which serves another purpose: if you use crickets for feeding, they nibble on this sand and it gives them an extra dose of calcium--good for the bug higher on the food chain (your mantis).

OK, now do this:

4. Rub glue on all sides of plastic terrarium, but keep it VERY thin. The sand WILL stick, believe me.

5. Throw some sand in and shake until all sides are coated. Then, if you want to get artistic, you can take a toothpick or other device and scratch patterns (grasses, bamboo, whatever your inner artist dictates) while glue/sand mixture is still wet. You can also just finger paint the glue on to begin with and create patterns of grasses or leaves.

6. Let cage dry, then tap sides hard to make excess fall off. You may want to lightly dust off excess later if you feel coating is too thick. You want to be able to see your mantis but also leave no gaps that they have difficulty navigating around.

7. And....WahLAH! Your mantids will be able to climb the walls to top of cage (but sometimes they like hanging out on the sides as well!). Another advantage to this is that the crickets can also climb now, and when they do, they make it to the top of the cage and are REALLY easy prey for the Bug Superior.

GB


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## Entomo-logic (Nov 17, 2010)

When the mantids start refusing food this is a sign they are close, one sure fire way that I have found is, when they are visible, look at the wing buds. If the wing buds are close to the contour of the body you have a little while before molt (the mantids usually eat during this stage), But when the wing buds lift away from the body this means that the mantis will be molting within a few days, if not a few hours.


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## The Gex Files (Nov 18, 2010)

Approximately how much time is there between molts? Our male orchid molted om 23-10 to L5 and the female on 12-10 to L6. When should we expect them to molt again?


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