# P. Paradoxa (Ghost mantids)



## jrpx (Jan 20, 2006)

Hey there!

Me and my friend got some sub ghost mantids..

1 has just molted into adult (female) + 1 of my friends did it a while ago (male)...

My friend has 2 females who just died in 4 days (sub adults), didn't die in there molt, they just died?

Now this morning i was expecting on of my sub males to molt into adulthood, because he seemed kinda weak(?), but instead he was dead.. 

Anyone who know what could be wrong..

because i have no answer to it :s

Regards,

Jonas


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## Rick (Jan 20, 2006)

I kept those once and mine did the same thing.


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## jrpx (Jan 20, 2006)

There isn't any logical reason? :s


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## Ian (Jan 20, 2006)

Jonas,

What was the ventilation like in the enclosure? And, how often was it sprayed/what was the humidity?

Cheers,

Ian


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## jrpx (Jan 20, 2006)

There was made a big hole in the top of the enclosure which was replaced with net. And I spray it once a day (some times every second day)...

I don't know what the exact humidity was.. The temperature was about 24-26+ C

/ Jonas


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## Ian (Jan 20, 2006)

Sounds fine to me. Was there ever any stagnent water loitering in the bottom of the enclosure? Or did it all evaporate over the course of the day?

Cheers,

Ian


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## Johnald Chaffinch (Jan 20, 2006)

was there any clues at all? spew, or the way it died / looked etc...

could it have had something to do with them getting ready for their last moult? ( not eating, not being able to hang etc...)

were you both feeding them the same food?

( i'm only speculating as i'm only just getting my first ghosts next week! )

there's so many things it could be i guess, maybe they'd just got some kind of virus


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## jrpx (Jan 20, 2006)

There was a bit water ind the enclosure, but i changed it with a totally clean enclosure before i went to sleep (and gave then new enclosure some spraied water, to get humidty op for the molt).. I guess it was preparing to molt into adulthood (didn't eat)....

Next morning i just law on the bottom of the enclosure and no sign of a beginning molt..

/ Jonas


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## Orin (Jan 22, 2006)

Ghosts often become picky at times and may need flies or small moths (usually appropriately sized crickets are good enough) to perk their appetite. A base diet of lobster roaches is usually fine in bare 16 oz cages till subadult. Like all mantids they do not do well with spacing (more than a few days between feedings) and unless they are very fat it is important to make sure they are eating. This species often quits eating and it's easy to get them started again with a change. Ghosts do not like any standing water in the cage but your description sounds more like starvation.



> There was a bit water ind the enclosure, but i changed it with a totally clean enclosure before i went to sleep (and gave then new enclosure some spraied water, to get humidty op for the molt).. I guess it was preparing to molt into adulthood (didn't eat)....Next morning i just law on the bottom of the enclosure and no sign of a beginning molt..
> 
> / Jonas


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## jrpx (Jan 29, 2006)

It was very fat, so i don't think it died by starvation..

/ Jonas


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