Cilnia molted fom L6 after 2 1/2 months!!

[Psychobunny]

I thought she was going to die, but she finally molted and I took a few pics at feeding time.

Maybe you can see the weak back leg. She molted several days ago, but her wings look strange.

 

[LLCoolJew]

Wow! She's an interesting color! Good job keeping her alive! I look forward to seeing more pics

LL

 

[ismart]

She is an adult now. Her wings are a little deformed though. She looks good otherwise. Her back leg still may straighten out?

 

[Idolofreak]

Yeah, her wings do look deformed quite a bit. She might not be as good a hunter with the messed up leg, but she should manage okay.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Looks like it was bent while drying, she should do fine but I would give her extra gripable surfaces the perch on, like mesh and real wood/twigs...

 

[agent A]

The leg will likely recover, my female pseudoharpax had a minor mismolt and she had trouble using her legs but is gradually regaining function in them

 

[lancaster1313]

I have had a few mantid legs straighten out with a day or two of hanging, it can happen.

Even if the leg doesn't straighten it shouldn't be much of a problem. I have had mantids that looked worse, that were great hunters who would persue their prey as if their shortcomings just made them extra hungry.

The wings could look worse too.

 

[Psychobunny]

Looks like it was bent while drying, she should do fine but I would give her extra gripable surfaces the perch on, like mesh and real wood/twigs...

That is a good point, because she falls a lot. So she lives in a 12'' net cube with the fake tree you see in the pics.

I have to hand feed her! she makes no attempt to go after prey, need to have it stuck in her face.

Even then, sometimes I have to try several times before she will finally take it.

So, I always feed her first because she can be a pain!!

 

[Psychobunny]

Looks like it was bent while drying, she should do fine but I would give her extra gripable surfaces the perch on, like mesh and real wood/twigs...

I know it.

Her wings look like crumpled up green tissue paper!!

She was very weak when she shed and may even have fallen and gotten back up while she was shedding.

She was so weak I thought for sure she would die. Instead, she shed!!

 

[Psychobunny]

She is an adult now. Her wings are a little deformed though. She looks good otherwise. Her back leg still may straighten out?

I hope so. She can still use it a bit, but it's weak and will not grasp very well, so she is prone to falling.

Will she shed again in her life? If so, will it take longer then 2 1/2 months?

 

[agent A]

Adults will not shed again, yours may still be able to breed though

 

[MantidLord]

After 2 1/2 months? Wow is this normal for the species? And aren't these guys (females) extremely aggressive? The fact that you have to hand feed her is kind of strange to me, from what I've heard about this species.

 

[dragon]

After 2 1/2 months? Wow is this normal for the species?

I was wondering the same thing.