Chinese Praying Mantis Molting issue

[kmjack123]

So my Chinese mantis molted today into L6. But it looks like she didnt have enough room to molt and molted wrong and now she isn't putting any weight on one of her back legs and she is keeping it up in the air. Even when I bring her out of her cage she does it. 

Do you think she will get better and her leg will start working or do you think she wont make it ?

Please let me know. I have had this girl since she was a baby. 

 

[crabbypatty]

@kmjack123 it should be fine, it'll right itself next time it molts, just give it plenty of vertical room. My Chinese fell while drying and one of his raptors ended up crooked as well as two of his legs. He would lift his one of the twisted legs in the air all the time. He molted to adult recently and he's all good, yours should too  :lol:

 

[kmjack123]

Thank you. I just moved her into a 10 gallon tank today so hopefully she will get better. She just wont get off of the lid to eat.  But I am going to give her a few days to see if she will eat. 

 

[crabbypatty]

@kmjack123 I usually give by mantids 24 hours to fully dry before offering food, just offer her water, they lose a lot fluid when they molt. 

 

[cwebster]

Our Minty chinese mantis has a leg hanging from his last bad molt too but is getting around and eating great so i hope your mantis will also do fine. I offer tiny amounts of honey on a toothpick and every few days, he will even chew on a small cricket held up to him which seems to stimulate his appetite. 

 

[kmjack123]

Mine is turning away from the food,  but I'm giving her another day and will see if she will eat tomorrow.  Since she just molted yesterday.  

 

[CosbyArt]

A leg mismolt issue isn't life threatening at all, otherwise many would never have mantids. The only way it could be, would be if the leg is at a extreme angle that would cause the nymph to become trapped in it's next molt.

Regarding the food though it could be several reasons - it's not hungry, the prey is too small or large to eat (since the molt), or it may have a problem with the raptorial forearm(s)/mouth/or such. Give it some time and try other sized prey if available.

 

[kmjack123]

She is not in a 10 gallon tank and she has mealworms and crickets in her tank.  I don't really have anything else to give her food wise. But here is the last picture I have of her after she Molted into L6. 

 

[crabbypatty]

@kmjack123 you can try tearing a mealworm apart and offer her a chunk with tweezers if you're worried. 

 

[kmjack123]

I tore a mealworm in half and she went for it but only ate half of it. But at least she had something to eat. 

 

[kmjack123]

The only worry I have is that her abdomen is bending down.  Is this normal ?

 

[CosbyArt]

The only worry I have is that her abdomen is bending down.  Is this normal ?
..

It is usually referred to as a bent abdomen or floppy abdomen, if you want to search around the forum. Some people seem to experience it, personally I have only had it happen with one species and that was Miomantis paykullii as small nymphs.

Doing some digging I found this about the condition with the Chinese mantid (Tenodera sinensis)...

 

[Sticky]

I had read that it is a death sentence but thats not true. 3 out of 4 chinese mantids with that have made it to adulthood fine and lived a perfectly fine life.

 

[kmjack123]

He will eat and everything.  But just always stays on the top.  I would of thought that if he wasn't going to survive he would be dead by now  

 

[CosbyArt]

He will eat and everything.  But just always stays on the top.  I would of thought that if he wasn't going to survive he would be dead by now  

Most mantids spend 90% of their time hanging from their lid, it is just their behavior.

No, unless it is a catastrophic problem most mantids will survive until their next molt, and then their health problems may kill them if they are unable to successfully molt.

In the bend/floppy abdomen issue though it is a very slow problem, as it makes it difficult/impossible to pass their frass (poop). It can lead to impacted frass, serve constipation,  that they can not expel/pass, but often the situation is not that serve. If that happens though it will refuse food as it is unable to digest it (no room), which is not your case.

In my mantids affected with the abdomen issue most were able to correct the issue in successive molts (as it said to be a abdomen muscle issue), and they survived to healthy adults.