Bent Back Mantis

[Nick Barta]

Three of 10 Asians in their L3 molt came out bent over so that the head was on the ground when they rested. Thought this was peculiar to have 30% with the same deformaty, could be a bad molt, anybody experience this?

 

[Rick]

I've had a few with hunched backs over the years but not several at once.

 

[Peekaboo]

How much vertical room did they have to molt? Perhaps they were too close to the ground.

 

[Nick Barta]

They had 3 times their body length. The one I saw molting was 1 inch or so from the ground, and was already showing the signs of curvature.

 

[Hypoponera]

Is it possible that the 3 just didn't have enough humidity? Possibly the back of the thorax began to dry while the nymph was still hunched over while working it's way out of the old skin.