How many molts do i have?

so, i have 2 orchids, 2 idolos, 10 popa spurca, 6 gambians, 10 sphodromantis lineola, 15 blue flash, 5 indian flowers, and two asian marbled mantids on the way, and i'm forming a spraying and feeding chart to make sure everyones needs are tended to. below is a very rough example of the spray table.

--------L1----------- once a day---- twice a day----- once a week ---- ect

(mantid name here) ----X-------------------------------------------------

(mantid name here)---------------------X----------------------------------

only problem is i dont know exactly how many molts each has so i dont know when they can be considered "adults" and what not. Also, i was unable to find a care sheet for the popa spurca,asian marbled, and blue flash, so any info on that would be greatly appreciated.

You should spray nymphs at least once a day. I spray all mine (including adults) twice a day; once in the morning, once at night. Mantids are more likely to molt during those times, when the humidity is naturally higher. You should feed nymphs about every day. Their abdomen should never get too thin, but never too plump, either. Somewhere in the middle is where you want them to be. You'll get better at judging how much food to give them once you get used to keeping them.

Most mantids have six molts, although the larger species tend to have one or two more. Also, in some species, the females have one extra molt than the males. The easiest way to tell if a mantis is an adult or not is to see if they have wings. Full wings = adult. (Except for a few species, like budwings, who have shorter wings)

Hope that helps! Good luck with your tons of new babies!

thank you very much, very informative. I would still would like to know if anyone knows exactly how many for each species though (sorry, its the OCD).

AlexLissimore said:

thank you very much, very informative. I would still would like to know if anyone knows exactly how many for each species though (sorry, its the OCD).

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I was the same way at first, but when I had alot of nymphs I lost count of their molts after a while. Many of the things I wondered about were only answered by waiting and finding out for myself. It drove me nuts at first, but now I am a little more laid back. B) I do hope you find the answers. Perhaps you can post your observations, so others in the future can be informed. I would have liked to be able to find a chart or something like that, but temps, feeding, and other variables, can be different between hobbyists.

likebugs said:

I was the same way at first, but when I had alot of nymphs I lost count of their molts after a while. Many of the things I wondered about were only answered by waiting and finding out for myself. It drove me nuts at first, but now I am a little more laid back. B) I do hope you find the answers. Perhaps you can post your observations, so others in the future can be informed. I would have liked to be able to find a chart or something like that, but temps, feeding, and other variables, can be different between hobbyists.

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I suppose in part its the OCD, and in part curiosity. I've never been the type to just sit back and wait to see what happens, always anticipating everything. I will definitely post all of my findings, I'm currently using the care sheets from mantisplace to form my charts (of course they will be adapted later on once i find what is best for my mantids), mantis place doesnt have care sheets for all of them though, so i need to find a few others. And unless i have a solid gameplan before they arrive (ie, spray charts, feeding charts, ect) it's going to bug the heck outta me, and since im doing a chart for each instar its important to me to know the exact number of molt each has.

AlexLissimore said:

I suppose in part its the OCD, and in part curiosity. I've never been the type to just sit back and wait to see what happens, always anticipating everything. I will definitely post all of my findings, I'm currently using the care sheets from mantisplace to form my charts (of course they will be adapted later on once i find what is best for my mantids), mantis place doesnt have care sheets for all of them though, so i need to find a few others. And unless i have a solid gameplan before they arrive (ie, spray charts, feeding charts, ect) it's going to bug the heck outta me, and since im doing a chart for each instar its important to me to know the exact number of molt each has.

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:lol: You probably won't find all the answers for all of the species on the internet. Just try to relax, everything will probably be fine,(except your mental status) especially if you are that anal. I am sure your own observations can be a help to others.

likebugs said:

:lol: You probably won't find all the answers for all of the species on the internet. Just try to relax, everything will probably be fine,(except your mental status) especially if you are that anal. I am sure your own observations can be a help to others.

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You're probably right, i wont find all of them, but i can keep telling myself im going to so i dont go completely crazy before they get here the word "relax" is definitely NOT part of my vocabulary :lol: And knowing me, every little thing they do once they get here (and through the rest of their lives) will definitely be recorded and posted.

patrickfraser said:

LOOK HERE

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Where was that when I started out? :mellow:

That site is AMAZING, it gave me all of the info i need for everything besides the gambians, which i think is because i dont know their /full/ scientific name. Are they spotted eye flower mantids (Theopropus elegans) or is that something completely different?

Pseudoharpax virescens...It's there

patrickfraser said:

Pseudoharpax virescens...It's there

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Thanks found it. I knew i was missing something. Time to start forming my charts!