Adult Idolo molting enclosure

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I am so confused... heat up?... heat down?... humidity?... and I know I don't have the right stuff for them to hold on to... They are in an enclosure full of fake flowers..in which they have molted fine in the last molts... now I am afraid... I don't have the right stuff... I have no vines in there?.... I know the Idolos have really bad feet... but so far they have done good... but now??? ... I am afraid.. Do I switch out my containers they are in?
If they are in deli cups after L4 I would definitely consider getting them into some kind of enclosure where they have many molting options and are not too crowded. Either netting or cage is fine. Or netting in the cage for better molting success.

 
If they are in deli cups after L4 I would definitely consider getting them into some kind of enclosure where they have many molting options and are not too crowded. Either netting or cage is fine. Or netting in the cage for better molting success.
You may want to take a look through these links. Early on in keeping Idolos, netting and wire screening were found to be unfavorable choices. Neither provides the kind of grip which they require while molting, and it was found to be nearly impossible to keep up the humidity in anything other than a mostly solid enclosure.

Terrarium with lots of twigs

A new Idolo enclosure

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=18234

 
Oh man Papilio... I was so confident before... That I had set them up perfectly, because I have not had a problem yet... Mine are L6ish.. and now I am worried...

 
ok... this is what I have my guys in:



and this is another



and my third



I think I need to add Grape vines?

 
Just saw the links you sent... definitely need more sticks... damn...

 
Oh man Papilio... I was so confident before... That I had set them up perfectly, because I have not had a problem yet... Mine are L6ish.. and now I am worried...
I know, it was the same with me ... as I mentioned all went well as they grew. But when my male barely succeeded in his maturing molt because I hadn't properly prepared his enclosure, I began my research. The difficulties which come later on are, I guess, the reason that I got so many congratulations when I posted my matured female, and it took me by surprise. That last molt is a tough one for them, sadly, and it's hard to imagine how they've avoided extinction in the wild, as fragile as they are.

 
dmina, I had my Idolos in hex enclosures exactly like that. Unfortunately they just don't provide room for these massive insects as they reach adulthood. If you scroll up to the photo of my female hanging from her exuvia, that soft body was nearly seven inches long!

 
Oh my God these posts are scaring meeeee!!!!!!! I have the right conditions but I really hope my female molts to adulthood successfully! And I should really make a thread for all the USA Idolo owners to come together and talk. Now im thinking the males arent going to be ready in time so I need options on where to get males if any are available when my female matures.

Like Michael said, and I would stress too. Idolos arent good for hex enclosures. They are just such large insects that they need as much space, branches, and molting places as possible! It is crucial in raising Idolos!. Good luck Dmina!

ok... this is what I have my guys in:



and this is another



and my third



I think I need to add Grape vines?
 
Matt, if your males are well behind your female, you may be in good shape! The males remain sub for only a couple of months at most. If my experience is typical, the female took four months, and then needs another month before she's ready to mate.

 
Here's my enclosure for the sub males and Pre sub female. Will be renovating it this weekend!

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OK... so the hexes don't work.... What do I get... I have not been able to find net cages... what are the long ones you all are using?

Like I say 2 have just molted L6 .. the other is L6 but now has stopped eating...so very worried.. It is funny how all of our Idolo's are molting close to the same time...

 
OK... so the hexes don't work.... What do I get... I have not been able to find net cages... what are the long ones you all are using?

Like I say 2 have just molted L6 .. the other is L6 but now has stopped eating...so very worried.. It is funny how all of our Idolo's are molting close to the same time...
These would be my suggestion. Not exactly cheap but not terribly expensive either. The tops are screen, so they should be at least partially covered to keep humidity in. And here's a good thermometer/humidity guage. I know it's a larger investment than you may wish to make, but these sorts of things really are required for this difficult species.

It was funny, on the Facebook Mantis Keepers group there were four of us having our females mature at almost exactly the same time! We kept updating each other via posts on our mantids' progress. :)

 
It's also very funny that 2 other people that I know on instagram have them molting at around the exact same time so I know when their idolos are getting ready to molt I know mine are going to do so as well. We keep eachother updated and it is quite funny how it all plays out!

 
Did all four of you have success? I hope my males really slow down or my female speeds up.

-Matt
All of them survived the molt, though one didn't find a proper angle from which to inflate its wings and they dried looking pretty messed up.

It's generally considered impossible to breed sibling Idolos. I too tried slowing down the male and speeding up the female with power-feeding. Didn't help. ;)

 
Ok.. if the snow stops... I will be shopping tomorrow... And I thought I was already set up.. good foot holds for these guys... plenty of space... the best made plans... huh! go figure

 

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