Chinese L4 mis-molted badly

[-MK-]

Two of my Chinese mantids molted to L4 today - one perfectly, the other horribly. This same one had trouble getting out of the old skin last time, and ended up with a slightly deformed rear leg. This time resulted in a missing rear leg and a pretty badly deformed one. So basically the only legs to hang with are the middle two. Is there any chance of this mantis having a normal life? Do limbs ever regenerate in successive molts? And is it just coincidence that this particular mantis had two consecutive bad molts? I feel so bad for the little guy.

 

[-MK-]

Two of my Chinese mantids molted to L4 today - one perfectly, the other horribly. This same one had trouble getting out of the old skin last time, and ended up with a slightly deformed rear leg. This time resulted in a missing rear leg and a pretty badly deformed one. So basically the only legs to hang with are the middle two. Is there any chance of this mantis having a normal life? Do limbs ever regenerate in successive molts? I feel so bad for the little guy.

Ok, after reading about ming ming's mantis, I have a bit more hope. But I'm still really anxious to hear from some of the experts here. Thanks!

 

[AmandaLynn]

Do you have a picture? Their limbs will grow back if it can manage to molt again.

 

[AmandaLynn]

Do you have a picture? It's limbs will grow back if it can manage to molt again.

 

[-MK-]

Do you have a picture? It's limbs will grow back if it can manage to molt again.

Here's a picture. Sorry for the lousy quality, but it shows what you need to see. One rear leg is completely missing, and the other looks pretty useless, but other than that, the mantis looks good.

 

[AmandaLynn]

It's remaining legs don't look so bad. It will probably be fine.

 

[-MK-]

It's remaining legs don't look so bad. It will probably be fine.

Thanks - that's good to hear. But the remaining rear leg is pretty bad. I know it's hard to tell from a still photo (and a bad one at that) but it seems pretty useless except as ballast for balance because it barely moves. I'm encouraged by what I've read so far, though.

 

[MingMing]

She will be just fine Mine was much more dramatic and she is still here lol Im pretty sure she will get her leg back in the next molt

 

[Rick]

Should be just fine.

 

[mantidian]

when there's signs of molting, use silicon to glue her legs to the top to be extraaaa sure

 

[Katnapper]

when there's signs of molting, use silicon to glue her legs to the top to be extraaaa sure

I would not recommend that.

 

[batsofchaos]

You might want to try upping the humidity a little (don't go over-board, don't want their cage molding), as moisture helps mantids molt, just to decrease the likelihood of subsequent mismolts.

 

[-MK-]

Ok, here's the update: this same mantis molted overnight, so I didn't get to see it. The good news is that the one rear leg he's got looks proper this time. The bad news is that the other rear leg is still completely missing.

The container has that humidity foam on the floor, which is as saturated as it can be short of having standing water. And I spray the lids every day so some water gets in through the holes. I'm confident that the humidity is good, and this appears to have been a clean molt, just minus one leg. I didn't find a fresh-looking one stuck to the old skin or anything like that - it's just not there.

Everyone seemed pretty optimistic that it would grow back. Obviously, being L5, this mantis has at least a couple more molts coming, but does the outcome of this molt forecast anything? In other words, does it mean the leg is less likely to grow back, or are the chances the same as they were before, which seemed pretty good.