# Ummm...MOLT...



## Nightowl007 (Nov 22, 2018)

So...one of my mantids molted...idk wat to do now...do I feed him? Wait so how did it happen? And when??!?!? I don’t understand!?!? I didn’t do anything except feed and keep his enclosure moist enough...that’s all I did...


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## agent A (Nov 22, 2018)

give him like 4 days, then feed. pseudocreos dont give much warning of molts or need much humidity to molt. he's fine


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 22, 2018)

Phew, ok. I do need to log his molt date right? I didn’t see him while he was molting or like starting to so Idk when he’d molt. Thank u for the reply


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 22, 2018)

It looks like he molted about a half an hour to forty-five minutes or so before the picture was taken. He is a beautiful adult male. Congratulations!

- MantisGirl13


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## MantisL (Nov 22, 2018)

Congrats on the successful molt, amazing mantis you got there... not sure about the exact time but he shouldn’t have molted too long ago. I can tell that he definitely caught you off guard.


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 22, 2018)

gratz an on the molt


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 22, 2018)

O ok. Thank u~ he did caught me off guard. I came home expecting to feed them but then I saw that and I got confused and worry bc I didn’t know wat to do...I just kinda left him there to adjust to his wings


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 23, 2018)

You did exactly the right thing. Can we see some pics of him now?

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 24, 2018)

Yeah, I want to pics his new wings


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)

Alright, once I get home. I think he finished. Cause he just stay still or like move his wings around a bit.


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)

He won’t go for a display so eh. He do wat he do.


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)




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## Mantis Lady (Nov 24, 2018)

He has beautiful wings


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)

Thank u~


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## Graceface (Nov 24, 2018)

He is a cutie! Congrats


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 24, 2018)

He is beautiful! Do you have a female for him?

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)

Ummm that is a very good questions but sadly(I do) she’s still hasn’t molted yet.


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 24, 2018)

Graceface said:


> He is a cutie! Congrats


Thank u~


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 25, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Ummm that is a very good questions but sadly(I do) she’s still hasn’t molted yet.


Can we see a pic of her? Hopefully she molts soon!

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 25, 2018)




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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 25, 2018)

Is she a subadult? She is pretty!

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 25, 2018)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Is she a subadult? She is pretty!
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Yes, she is. I'm currently waiting(for her to molt) and not sure what to feed them. I have my other L4 stage species but they can handle fruit flies ok, but these subadults are kinda hard to figure out what to feed them.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 25, 2018)

Ok. You can feed her roaches, flies, etc. All of which you can buy online.

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 25, 2018)

My only concern is dealing with shipping and sizes. Also, escapees!!!


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 25, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> My only concern is dealing with shipping and sizes. Also, escapees!!!


If you get dubia roaches there should be no escapees as they cannot climb smooth surfaces or fly. If you get flies, you can get them in the pupae stage and then you can just pick up as many pupae as you need, and drop them in the mantis cage. They will hatch in a few days. Shipping (for feeder insects) is usually no more than $8 or $9 for two day shipping. Dubias come in all sizes so you can get the perfect size for your mantis (medium sized). 

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 25, 2018)

Ooh. Can I get them at Petco? I didn’t see any Dubias last time I visit. Only fruit flies, mealworms, and crickets, or that one other feeder insect that I forgot the name of. I heard a lot of debate over crickets or roaches but idk.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 26, 2018)

No, I don't think so. A good site to get them is https://gotdubia.com

- MantisGirl13


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## Cole 78 (Nov 26, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Ooh. Can I get them at Petco? I didn’t see any Dubias last time I visit. Only fruit flies, mealworms, and crickets, or that one other feeder insect that I forgot the name of. I heard a lot of debate over crickets or roaches but idk.






MantisGirl13 said:


> No, I don't think so. A good site to get them is https://gotdubia.com
> 
> - MantisGirl13


I bought my dubias from petco


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 26, 2018)

Cole 78 said:


> I bought my dubias from petco


Really? I guess my PetCo just doesn't have them then! You are lucky!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 26, 2018)

My dubias I order online as my grasshoppers. In my pet shop I see many dead dubias in the boxes and they don't have the small ones. Maybe not many ppl are buying them I think an then being whitout something to drink they will die.


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## ausar318 (Nov 26, 2018)

All the petco’s around me have dubias, but it’s $17 for “10 small” ones (it’s really about 10 baby dubias, and a bunch of tiny dead ones).

If that is the correct value of them, I am going to quit school because I’m already a millionaire


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 26, 2018)

Lol  

I wouldn't pay that much for dubias! I could get 24 dubias plus shipping for less than that amount!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 26, 2018)

Wow, that is a lot for 10 dubia nymphs


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 26, 2018)

Sooo...how do u deal with them? I meant like how do u feed them to ur mantids? Cause I’m pretty scared once it comes to bugs(the irony Ik).


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 27, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Sooo...how do u deal with them? I meant like how do u feed them to ur mantids? Cause I’m pretty scared once it comes to bugs(the irony Ik).


Lol   

First off, roaches will not hurt you. Pick one up and tear it in half. It will be disgusting, but you'll get used to it. You can even use tweezers! Take the roach (now in pieces) and push it up against your mantid's mouth. The mantis will taste it and then should grab onto it. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 27, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Cause I’m pretty scared once it comes to bugs(the irony Ik).


They don't bite. I do the same like discibed above. I cut it in half since the dubias are too big to hunt. They (mantids like the white goo of roach)

You get used to the feeders as the mantids. I am  not afraid to grab my dubias or other feeder. Good luck


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 28, 2018)

I’ll try my best~ I’ll see if I can get them in different sizes. Cause I think medium is too big for them...cutting or ripping the roaches is kinda ehhh...for me so I’ll just get some sizes then decide which ones should I buy. Cause I think they sell those at Petco too.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 28, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> I’ll try my best~ I’ll see if I can get them in different sizes. Cause I think medium is too big for them...cutting or ripping the roaches is kinda ehhh...for me so I’ll just get some sizes then decide which ones should I buy. Cause I think they sell those at Petco too.


Ok! Btw, most mantids will not hunt dubias because they live on the ground and like to hide under things. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 28, 2018)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Ok! Btw, most mantids will not hunt dubias because they live on the ground and like to hide under things.


With me I had only one mantis that was trying to hunt a dubia, was Bob.(H. menbranacea) But that was when he arrived and saw the dubia and thought "that was a nice meal."  but it was a bit too big. He got it later (a half roach.)

I offer them just in pieces or half dubias when they get bigger.


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## hysteresis (Nov 28, 2018)

Wow. So people that feed dubias are hand-feeding  all the time?


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 28, 2018)

Lol same...I didn’t know...I’m used to leave them do their thing...


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 29, 2018)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Ok! Btw, most mantids will not hunt dubias because they live on the ground and like to hide under things.
> 
> - MantisGirl13


O I usually helped mine to eat...sometimes...whenever one of my mantids can’t catch a fruit flies bc they just keep falling from the sides...I just guide the fruit flies to him/her. I don’t know how to sex the mantids lol and cause they’re too young to know. O one of my twigs molted...y r they always do it when I’m not around?!?!? I mean I prefer that cause of their success growth rate but still...never seen one molts before...


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 29, 2018)

@hysteresis @Nightowl007 Yes, almost all people who have feed roaches hand feed their mantids. You don't have to hold the food for them; once they get a taste they will grab it like a normal prey item with their raptors. 

@Nightowl007 Do you have Popa spurca african twigs? What instar are they?

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis (Nov 29, 2018)

@MantisGirl13 during her final few weeks, getting her happy enough to lay an ooth, I mostly hand-fed Lola.

I'd dissect her crickets, or just present them live, with tweezers. Just as you say.


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 29, 2018)

@MantisGirl13

ummmm hard to say...cause one of them molted...but I got them when they were in their L4 stage


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 29, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> @MantisGirl13
> 
> ummmm hard to say...cause one of them molted...but I got them when they were in their L4 stage


Cool! I have L5 popas and they are adorable little monsters!

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Nov 29, 2018)

Lol yeah...mine got even more active after molting.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 30, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Lol yeah...mine got even more active after molting.


Yeah, mine constantly wander around their cage when they don't think I'm looking, then when I get closer they become 'Instant twigs'   

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Dec 6, 2018)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Yeah, mine constantly wander around their cage when they don't think I'm looking, then when I get closer they become 'Instant twigs'
> 
> - MantisGirl13


yikes. lol. wait do u keep them together?!


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## MantisGirl13 (Dec 6, 2018)

No, but I keep their cages all next to each other. I think my spell check changed 'cages' to 'cage', sorry!

- MantisGirl13


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## Nightowl007 (Dec 6, 2018)

Ohhh...ok...yeah I keep them close too...cause of space and also getting used to each other...


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## MantisGirl13 (Dec 6, 2018)

Nightowl007 said:


> Ohhh...ok...yeah I keep them close too...cause of space and also getting used to each other...


Ya, My entire closet is full of mantis cages so it is impossible not to have them close to each other!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Dec 6, 2018)

I have mine in a row on my desk, till they need bigger homes and growing out of their cups.


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