# Molting issues w/ new shipment, please help!



## Love2read (Sep 17, 2013)

I just got my new baby mantids and am clueless about molting since I've only ever had adults before, so can someone please help me?!  

When I got the babies there was one that must have molted during the shipment(I even paid to have them over-nighted to try and avoid this issue *cry*) and he was deformed on the bottom of the cage, so I put wrapped him up and placed him in the freezer to end his suffering. :'(

I had to head out on a bit of a road trip right after getting them, so I left them in their shipping containers to mess with when I got back, but when I got back tonight one of my Orchid girls had just molted as well while I was gone and I found her on the bottom of her container. She seems okay, but her wings are shriveled. Will they return to normal with her next molt? If not, will it effect her health/quality of life? And if I decide to breed her later one, will that effect her breeding ability?

My plan was to move all the babies to their new containers, but now I'm scared to move them for fear that they're about to molt and I'll accidentally kill them! :'( Can anyone tell when what to look for to know whether or not they're about to molt so I know if it's safe to move them or not? Is there a certain stance they take or a specific "look" they have to them?

Lastly, one of the babies is missing once of it's legs...should I be concerned or is it no a big deal? My main worry is that they might not be able to get a good grip when they're about to molt and might fall...


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## Paradoxica (Sep 17, 2013)

What material is being used for the top of the temporary enclosure? Is it something rough that they can get a good grip on?

If your orchid has full wings then it is adult and won't molt anymore, however there's a chance that you saw it before it had a chance to "inflate" it's wings after molting.

I'd say that unless you see one actively molting, then go ahead and carefully move them. There is a certain looks they get right before a molt but you kind of have to get a feel for it before you can really tell.

A missing leg will grow back in a couple molts and shouldn't be too big of a deal for it.


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## aNisip (Sep 17, 2013)

↑What he said↑ ....move her to a larger enclosure so she can hang to inflate her wings... and depending on who you got them from, ask why they were shipped so close to molting...sub adults you can tell when they will molt (generally) and it mightve been best for the dealer to hold on to her until after she molted....was the one that had to be placed in the freezer the same species and same instar?

All the best,

Andrew


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## Love2read (Sep 17, 2013)

The containers they came in were completely empty, with the exception of a couple that had a branch or a little bit of stringy stuff(can't remember what it's called...I believe it's wood fibers of some sort), so I really don't want to leave them in the containers. I was pretty concerned when I saw the containers since it seems like they should have had some type of cushioning when being shipping(especially for such expensive little buggies and the fact that I paid $50 for shipping! O.O). :/

The Orchid should have been L4 when I got her, so this molt would be L5. I VERY gently scooped her up off the floor and put her into her new enclosure(which I thoroughly misted before putting her into it). The container she was in was completely bare and she had no surface to grip onto so she could dry without deformities after her molt.

Phew! Glad to hear that the leg will grow back!

I'll post a pic I snapped of the orchid while I was putting her into her new container. Hopefully it's just a deflated wing...like I said, I've never dealt with molting before, so I'm pretty clueless about it and only know about it from reading and not actual experience.


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## Love2read (Sep 17, 2013)

The one that molted during the shipment was a Dead Leaf and should have been L3.

I only ordered 2 of them, but the breeder sent me 3, so I'm guessing they must have noticed that one was about to molt(or perhaps they saw the missing leg on the other one, which was in the same container?) and sent me a backup??? I sent them a message explaining what happened and the only response I got was, "thanks for the update"...??? They didn't give an explanation for anything... :/


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## Love2read (Sep 17, 2013)

I got them from Cricket Crack on FB. I don't know their real name, but contacted them on reference and when I did a search for reviews on them I only saw good things. The reviews included people saying how impressed they were with the shipping methods, so I was surprised to see the mantids packed up in empty containers with nothing to grip except the lids. :/ Especially the Orchids, which weren't exactly cheap...


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## Paradoxica (Sep 17, 2013)

I know that user and he certainly isn't new to shipping mantids, personally I would trust his judgment in packaging. Also I'd bet he just threw in the third mantis to be nice and not because he knew one wasn't going to make it. It definitely stinks that happened to you though.


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## Love2read (Sep 18, 2013)

I figured he threw the 3rd in there as a "just in case" and not because he knew for sure it wouldn't make it.  I was sad when I saw that the one had fallen, but when I noticed there were 3 total it definitely made up for it. &lt;3

I think he must have been having a busy day(which would explain the short reponse earlier), because he just started PM-ing me back with more details about the orchid girl and is helping to calm my fears. Phew!

Turns out, she's older then was originally thought because when I went to check in on her she suddenly had full wings! O.O Cool! He said that the heat over in CA probably accelerated her growth. I certainly won't complain about her being older than though, especially since he had the older girls listed at a higher price. Now I feel bad for fussing over everything because he actually gave me a really good deal. &gt;.&lt;

Sorry for all my rambling...I'm such a worry-wort. *sigh*


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## Sticky (Sep 18, 2013)

Its ok to be a worry-wort. It shows you care!


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## agent A (Sep 18, 2013)

for future reference, orchids take a while to expand wings

mine molted in the evening around 6 (back in spring) and the wings were barely inflated at 10 when I went to bed but were fine when I woke up


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## Lazyiks (Sep 18, 2013)

I wish a had an orchid in general


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## Love2read (Sep 19, 2013)

Another one of the babies had molted by yesterday morning. Thankfully, that molt went without incident. Phew! Everyone was happy and healthy and stalking prey in their new homes when I left yesterday(1-day road trip!). I'm biting my nails right now waiting to get back home and check on them all to make sure they're all okay.


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## sally (Sep 19, 2013)

Glad to hear all is well


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