# eek - blood after molt?



## monster (May 9, 2007)

my one &amp; only wide-arm has just gone through another molt. i noticed she(?) had not eaten for a couple days, so i figured a molt was coming up. i had run low on flies early last week so i had offered her 6 or so crickets, which she gobbeled up 4 of. i added a couple house-caught flies and a ladybug.

toight i found her like this:

her molted skin still attached at the tip of her abdomen. she dosn't normally come down so far in her enclouser except for cricket hunting.

i very softly pulled off the last bit of molt with some long handeled tweezers.

















sorry for the dark photos. i'm useing the computer monitar to add extra light in these late hours.






on the back of her abdomen - is that blood? did she split her abdomen while molting or did some food attack her?

when she curl's her abdomen back up (in "normal" awake position) i don't see the red. is this common? please say she'll be fine.

she's normally a nice grey lavender color. i'm also very on-top of making sure she gets watered every night.


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## OGIGA (May 9, 2007)

I'd say that's normal. I had a mantis who molted and bled and it's very noticeable. Clear green liquid came out of my brown mantis. It unfortunately died. Yours look fine. The skin staying on the tail after molting is completely normal. I've seen it almost every time. If they really can't get out of it, a little water helps.


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## Rick (May 9, 2007)

If you're talking about those red lines, no that is not blood. It's just the abdomen is stretched so far due to you feeding so much. One or two crickets is fine, four is a bit much in one sitting.


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## monster (May 9, 2007)

phew  

yes, i was talking about the red lines. she's been good about not overeating with flies, probably because they're harder to catch. :wink:

now i know.

THANK YOU for the quick responses.


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## monster (May 9, 2007)

alright, i slept on this a bit and now i''m confused again. she ate the crickets on wednesday-ish. maybe a fly or two over the rest of the week. before the molt her abdomen was pretty small, looked like she might be hungry. after the molt it was humongus. now mid-day it is insanely small and flat. what gives? where did all that hugeness go?


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## Peekaboo (May 9, 2007)

I believe when an insect molts, it puff itself up full of air, until their exoskeleton hardens. Afterwards, they deflate, and grow into their new skin, until it's time to molt again.

My best guess is that your mantis was still inflated when she looked huge, and has now deflated.


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## Rick (May 10, 2007)

> alright, i slept on this a bit and now i''m confused again. she ate the crickets on wednesday-ish. maybe a fly or two over the rest of the week. before the molt her abdomen was pretty small, looked like she might be hungry. after the molt it was humongus. now mid-day it is insanely small and flat. what gives? where did all that hugeness go?


They swell a bit like someone else said.


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## OGIGA (May 10, 2007)

> I believe when an insect molts, it puff itself up full of air, until their exoskeleton hardens. Afterwards, they deflate, and grow into their new skin, until it's time to molt again.My best guess is that your mantis was still inflated when she looked huge, and has now deflated.


No wonder. My mantises are humongous after they haven't eaten for a week before molting. I think they stay pretty large after molting too.


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## Way.Of.The.Mantis (May 23, 2007)

> > I believe when an insect molts, it puff itself up full of air, until their exoskeleton hardens. Afterwards, they deflate, and grow into their new skin, until it's time to molt again.My best guess is that your mantis was still inflated when she looked huge, and has now deflated.
> 
> 
> No wonder. My mantises are humongous after they haven't eaten for a week before molting. I think they stay pretty large after molting too.


Hmm id never thought of them swelling up, thats quite a feat when you think about it, inconcievable for a mammal with a bone structure. Well, you learn something everyday!


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