# Horrible molt



## Mantida (Oct 14, 2007)

So I woke up today and checked on all my mantids, and found that my new H. membranacea had molted - badly. He apparently lost his footing and fell as I saw his body squirming on the floor. I picked him up and found that he cannot walk. He drags himself across my hand. The exo on one eye apparently didn't come off and I think some is still attached to the top and to the top of his head. I tried misting it a little and seeing if I could pull it off but it wouldn't yield. His wings of course are tangled and twisted, his abdomen is bent slightly in a U shape.

His mouth was 'tensed' as he molted and the black mouthparts are showing. I do not think he can eat as he cannot move them... he can take water however.

His back legs are both bent, one of them is twisted around to where his sticky foot is 180 degrees from its original point. The other isn't so bad, he can walk on it.

I will be cutting of his wings and ihs bad leg.

Has anyone ever experienced a mantis who's mouth came out 'tensed' as described above?

He was really weak when I recieved him through the mail and I think that is one of the reasons he couldn't hang on properly... He had plenty of space to molt and he drank lots of water 2 days ago.

I will post a picture later. If he _is_ able to survive he will probably have to be hand fed.  

What do you guys think? Is it time for the freezer?


----------



## Mantida (Oct 14, 2007)

Here are some pictures;







You can see the curve in the abdomen






The 180 twisted bad leg






The middle leg, dented at the top






His "tensed" mouthparts


----------



## Andrew (Oct 14, 2007)

Looks like its freezer time to me.


----------



## Rick (Oct 14, 2007)

Yeah you should put him out of his misery.


----------



## Orin (Oct 15, 2007)

That's why you all need an orange head cockroach colony.


----------



## Rick (Oct 15, 2007)

Orin said:


> That's why you all need an orange head cockroach colony.


My herps take care of these cases. :lol:


----------



## Mantida (Oct 15, 2007)

Orin said:


> That's why you all need an orange head cockroach colony.


But raising roaches gives me the heebee jeebies.  And I would never feed my dying mantis to a roach. :blink:


----------



## hibiscusmile (Oct 15, 2007)

Please no more pictures, the poor baby, I hope he is already gone.  so sorry.


----------



## asdsdf (Oct 15, 2007)

Orin said:


> That's why you all need an orange head cockroach colony.


Do they eat dead things, or do they kill bugs and share them? :blink: (Sorry, hate cockroaches.)


----------



## Orin (Oct 16, 2007)

asdsdf said:


> Do they eat dead things, or do they kill bugs and share them? :blink: (Sorry, hate cockroaches.)


You do realize there's nothing closer to a mantis than a roach right?

If you toss in a deformed mantis they attack it in mass.


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Oct 16, 2007)

Orin said:


> If you toss in a deformed mantis they attack it in mass.


Thats crazy! Like to see some photos.

Yeah, i guess it is freezer time, though I hope he passes before then. Thats a lot of suffering for one lil soul.


----------



## yen_saw (Oct 16, 2007)

Yeah i use to feed these to my snapper too. Now i just freeze them.


----------



## Mantida (Oct 16, 2007)

hibiscusmile said:


> Please no more pictures, the poor baby, I hope he is already gone.  so sorry.


Actually, this would of been my first freezing... and I just couldn't do it. I stuck him in there for a minute and couldn't turn my back on him. I am too soft hearted.  

I attempted to hand feed him and it takes a while but he is able to eat soft bodied things like waxworms. Right now I am debating whether or not just to leave him in the fridge. After all, handfeeding this guy takes around 2 hours just for one worm since he's so slow at eating since his mouthparts are all messed up and he's probably miserable.  I am surprised he has so much life though... I would expect him to just lay on the ground but he actually crawls around (without dragging himself!) and tries to catch his own food.


----------



## joossa (Oct 19, 2007)

mantida said:


> Actually, this would of been my first freezing... and I just couldn't do it. I stuck him in there for a minute and couldn't turn my back on him. I am too soft hearted.  I attempted to hand feed him and it takes a while but he is able to eat soft bodied things like waxworms. Right now I am debating whether or not just to leave him in the fridge. After all, handfeeding this guy takes around 2 hours just for one worm since he's so slow at eating since his mouthparts are all messed up and he's probably miserable.  I am surprised he has so much life though... I would expect him to just lay on the ground but he actually crawls around (without dragging himself!) and tries to catch his own food.


IMO, you are allowing him to go through more pain and struggle than he would experience in the freezer. Seriously, when something this critical happens to a mantid, it is not meant to live. Remember Darwin!

Ultimately, it your choice.


----------



## macro junkie (Nov 24, 2007)

any updates...did u freeeze it in the end?


----------



## Mantida (Nov 25, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> any updates...did u freeeze it in the end?


No, I did not, as freezing is my absolute last resort.

He lived two months after this molt with handfeeding.


----------



## macro junkie (Nov 25, 2007)

mantida said:


> No, I did not, as freezing is my absolute last resort.He lived two months after this molt with handfeeding.


well done..i was reading it takes u hours to feed it..and u done that for 2 months..u deserve a medal.


----------



## Kruszakus (Nov 25, 2007)

I had two very unfortunate molts recently - D. Lobata moulted while hanging too close to the ground, and T. Sinensis got only her thoranx out of the old carapace.

Two minutes in the freezer and then instead of wasting a good source of nourishment, I just gave the dead mantids to my crickets.


----------



## macro junkie (Nov 25, 2007)

Kruszakus said:


> I had two very unfortunate molts recently - D. Lobata moulted while hanging too close to the ground, and T. Sinensis got only her thoranx out of the old carapace.Two minutes in the freezer and then instead of wasting a good source of nourishment, I just gave the dead mantids to my crickets.


hmm crikcts eat dead mantis..didnt know that..i thought there vegertaians../hey whats best thing to feed crikcts on to feed to your mantis..?can i use cabage and bran flakes..cause thats what i ben using for ages..whats best food for them?


----------



## Mantida (Nov 25, 2007)

Kruszakus said:


> I had two very unfortunate molts recently - D. Lobata moulted while hanging too close to the ground, and T. Sinensis got only her thoranx out of the old carapace.Two minutes in the freezer and then instead of wasting a good source of nourishment, I just gave the dead mantids to my crickets.


See, that's just the thing, I can't do any of that. Guess I'm just too soft-hearted with these insects, aye?


----------



## idolomantis (Nov 25, 2007)

mantida said:


> See, that's just the thing, I can't do any of that. Guess I'm just too soft-hearted with these insects, aye?


yes i cant do that to i get a broken hearth when i freeze one


----------



## Mantida (Nov 25, 2007)

idolomantis said:


> yes i cant do that to i get a broken hearth when i freeze one


I'm talking about freezing and then feeding it to prey or another mantis, I can't do that, but we all have our techniques on 'disposing' of our mantids.


----------



## macro junkie (Nov 25, 2007)

mantida said:


> we all have our techniques on 'disposing' of our mantids.


in my house the dead ones get flushed down the toilet :lol:


----------



## idolomantis (Nov 25, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> in my house the dead ones get flushed down the toilet :lol:


LOL :lol: only dead stick insect of boring species and the ugly bodies get in the carbage can  :lol:


----------



## Kruszakus (Nov 25, 2007)

Crickets are omnivores - they will eat cookies, fruits, vegetables, raw meat, othet insects, their own dead and may even become cannibalistic if malnutritioned.

As for feedind crickets for mantids - I don't care, they can eat whatever is available - every now and then my mantids get some moths, and they make up for the poor nutritional value of crickets.


----------



## asdsdf (Nov 25, 2007)

Hmmm...I've purposely fed leftover cricket from my mantis to my other crickets. Waste not want not.

Also, actually, crickets are very healthy. Just that, it may be lacking somethings that a mantis needs.


----------

