# Dying or molting?



## KEL (Mar 10, 2008)

This is the third day of molting for my Chinese mantis. After reading the forum, it seems as if molting takes 15 minutes. Some details:

--He will drink/suck water from my finger.

--He had a partial molt; legs came out deformed, there is split skin on both sides of abdomen; eyes are still covered.

--He rests more on his abdomen than on his legs, and does move occasionally.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.


----------



## macro junkie (Mar 10, 2008)

KEL said:


> This is the third day of molting for my Chinese mantis. After reading the forum, it seems as if molting takes 15 minutes. Some details:--He will drink/suck water from my finger.
> 
> --He had a partial molt; legs came out deformed, there is split skin on both sides of abdomen; eyes are still covered.
> 
> ...


if hes suffering be best to freeze him.


----------



## KELEATO (Mar 10, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> if hes suffering be best to freeze him.


thanks...The splits I noted look like 2 wings under a magnifying glass.


----------



## macro junkie (Mar 10, 2008)

KEL said:


> thanks...The splits I noted look like 2 wings under a magnifying glass.


is he suffering&gt;?


----------



## KELEATO (Mar 10, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> is he suffering&gt;?


he will see a fruit fly and strike at it (not as aggressively as before), but not grasp it...drinks water, and is somewhat observant; he is for the most part immobile, not intrested in exploring environment of cage. Also, compared to pre-molt, I think the qualityof life has declined..just want to make sure it's not a final molt--thanks. What causes the skeletal skin on eyes not to come off, by the way.


----------



## Rick (Mar 10, 2008)

A bad molt is crippling. If the mantis cannot hang normally or cannot move it will never be able to molt again. You may be able to keep it alive but the next molt will kill it anyways.


----------



## Precious (Mar 10, 2008)

Rick makes a good point. You might could keep him alive but he won't be able to moult again. Sorry to say it sounds like it's time for the freezer.


----------



## KELEATO (Mar 11, 2008)

Yes, I think it will soon be time for the freezer for him. I have never had Mantis's until now, and didn't expect to get so attached to him. I have learned many things in the forum. Thanks to everyone.


----------



## Rick (Mar 11, 2008)

KEL said:


> Yes, I think it will soon be time for the freezer for him. I have never had Mantis's until now, and didn't expect to get so attached to him. I have learned many things in the forum. Thanks to everyone.


That is true. Getting attached to something that lives a year tops is not a good idea. I always keep that in mind in this hobby. My herps, cats, etc live awhile so if one of them dies I will actually be sad.


----------



## Sparky (Mar 11, 2008)

Well don't just go freezing every mantis that you think is "suffering" You don't know how many times someone freezes a perfectly good mantis. After a molt one of my mantids had a bad leg. His next molt to sub adult was even worse, both of his back legs were crippled so badly. He was sluggish, but was still able to catch prey if I lured it close to him. When he was molting, he seemed to know what he was doing even without his back legs. His molt into adulthood came out perfectly. His legs were fixed and he was fine.

So give it a chance before you freeze it.


----------



## KELEATO (Mar 12, 2008)

Sparky said:


> Well don't just go freezing every mantis that you think is "suffering" You don't know how many times someone freezes a perfectly good mantis. After a molt one of my mantids had a bad leg. His next molt to sub adult was even worse, both of his back legs were crippled so badly. He was sluggish, but was still able to catch prey if I lured it close to him. When he was molting, he seemed to know what he was doing even without his back legs. His molt into adulthood came out perfectly. His legs were fixed and he was fine.So give it a chance before you freeze it.


He's back! This morning the mantis was walking; he can hang, and went after flies (not successfully, still using tweezer-feed). Thanks for your input, Sparky.


----------



## Giosan (Mar 13, 2008)

KEL said:


> He's back! This morning the mantis was walking; he can hang, and went after flies (not successfully, still using tweezer-feed). Thanks for your input, Sparky.


Great news


----------



## darkspeed (Mar 13, 2008)

Congratulations on a happy ending!!!

One of my orchid nymphs is completely missing one of its rear legs. I'm not sure how it lost it, and I never found the leg... Having one leg less does not affect it any, and it is able to take on a housefly of roughly the same mass as itself no problem. I am still curious though... will it ever regrow, or is it gonna be like that from now on?


----------



## Mantida (Mar 13, 2008)

DARKSPEED said:


> Congratulations on a happy ending!!!One of my orchid nymphs is completely missing one of its rear legs. I'm not sure how it lost it, and I never found the leg... Having one leg less does not affect it any, and it is able to take on a housefly of roughly the same mass as itself no problem. I am still curious though... will it ever regrow, or is it gonna be like that from now on?


It may regrow to full or nearly full length, depending on how many instars it has left. In other words, the more instars, the more likely chance of the entire leg regenerating. With mantids that usually lose a leg, as adults they end up with a "skimpy", regenerated smaller one.


----------



## Precious (Mar 13, 2008)

Oops.


----------



## darkspeed (Mar 16, 2008)

Well the three legged one molted today, and now where there was no leg at all there is a complete leg that is just a little smaller. Hopefully since the leg actually regrew afer just one molt, by the time it reaches adulthood it will be normal again.


----------



## KEL (Mar 25, 2008)

DARKSPEED said:


> Well the three legged one molted today, and now where there was no leg at all there is a complete leg that is just a little smaller. Hopefully since the leg actually regrew afer just one molt, by the time it reaches adulthood it will be normal again.


---

Glad to hear about his leg!

My mantis is getting ready to molt as I write. If successful, I'll try the same.


----------



## KEL (Mar 25, 2008)

KEL said:


> ---
> 
> Glad to hear about his leg!
> 
> ...


----------



## KEL (Apr 5, 2008)

Just a note, this was posted as a new entry elsewhere on the forum. He couuldn't hang and fell while molting on 3/29/08

I am buying new mantids to continue with this hobby.


----------

