Benelli is molting to adult!

[glock34girl]

Hey guys-

My female orchid is molting to adult right now. She started doing her little spasms and her abdomen is doing all sorts of things. I can see her wingbuds moving. After thirty minutes of quietly staring at her (and for someone with ADHD this is hard!) I have decided to give her her privacy but I am hoping she makes it and I don't wake up to a sad disaster! She did pick a rather odd spot to molt so Iam hoping she keeps her footing! I wanted to take pic for you guys but thought the disruption might be too much for her. So, cross your fingers, toes and chest hairs!!! BTW that's spelled wrong but didn't know how to fix it lol what can I say? Auto correct gets me every time!

 

[Tony C]

Best of luck!

 

[glock34girl]

Maybe I was wrong.... Everything seems to have halted! Got up to let the dig out and she seemed to be doing nothing. Just hanging with her rear legs straight. I guess it's a waiting game. Lol

 

[glock34girl]

Well I guess she isn't? Got up to check things out and she's turned completely around!!!!!! I don't get her lol she was hanging like that for days! Is a brighter pink with crazy swollen wingbuds. Bahhhh! Darn nature! Killin me!

 

[aNisip]

Its a loooong waiting game with orchid girls molting to adult...all the best!

 

[sinensispsyched]

Yeah, that is true.

If I were you, I'd avoid watching the molt because it can make you sick with worry. Let nature take its course.

 

[glock34girl]

Here she is as of this morning. Can someone help me with confirming instar?

 

[mantid_mike]

Definitely a sub-adult. She should be molting really soon...maybe even today.

 

[glock34girl]

That's what I thought last night but this morning I woke up and she was in a sitting position. She didn't hang until I misted her again. Typical female, totally stubborn and unpredictable. Lol

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I don't know the difference in molting habits, but we saw our Idolo's wing buds for about a week and a half before he finally molted. I think the issue was he had eaten a ton the few days prior. Biologically ready to molt, but physically too fat. Lol. So we had to wait 'till he lost some pounds. Happened so quick too. Woke up, he was fine, ate some breakfast. Came back and he was done. Standing pretty and wings already at full size!

 

[glock34girl]

Wow! That is fast! Lol she is still stuck in sub-land. I've been able to see here wing-buds actually for quite awhile. She did eat a yummy cricket and fly a few days before all the excitement and she is a tad chubby so perhaps you are right and I need to call Jenny Craig. I hope she molts this weekend! I want to see it darnit!

 

[Crazy4mantis]

mine just molted to adult a few days ago. she was showing signs of molting for about a week. turned pink, stopped eating, and wingbuds swollen for 3-4 days, abdomen pumped for another 3-4 days. she just molted randomly one morning. she also kept moving everyday or two so it was real frustrating!

is that net cage giving her enough humidity? also, if you do it very carefully, you can move her with a stick to a safer molting spot.

 

[glock34girl]

I cover her cage with a plastic bag after I spray. It also sits on a humidity tray and she is sprayed regularly and has wet paper towels. Is she in an unsafe position?

 

[aNisip]

I would move her from that flower on to something with more grip...

 

[glock34girl]

Is there a special way to move her while she's in this process?

 

[Crazy4mantis]

she shouldn't be too sensitive until the night of the molt, so just use a twig and carefully manipulate her legs onto it, then just have her climb onto the new spot. be careful not to poke her and do this slowly. you can very lightly touch the back of her abdomen to motivate her to walk forward.