Coming along well.

[Allthingsterrarium]

Hey guys! Great news. Lee, my Giant Asian mantis, has molted for the first time under my care since I got her and joined the forum two weeks ago. She had actually just molted when I first got her. I had a hunch she would molt again since she showed only minor interest in a cricket the other night and two days before that only partially ate a waxworm (I felt so bad for the waxworm I had to let my bearded dragon quickly end any misery it might have been in.) She quickly ate the last of the tiny red runner roach nymphs that came with her in the container and then over the next several days she ate three crickets and two waxworms, not terribly small ones either so she's growing very well I'd say. I kid you not it looks to me like she almost doubled in size and is looking extremely fresh and vibrant right now. I'm even starting to see the wing buds you guys told me about when you identified her for me as still a nymph. I certainly do hope she turns out to be female since they are the really impressive ones but I've heard males do have larger wings which is impressive on it's own. Either way it's so exciting! Unfortunately it looks like she might have screwed up her bottom right leg somehow as she's dragging more than walking on it, holding it out when she hangs upside down and it sort of looked like it ever so slightly bent oddly when she moved it at one point. Her body might still just be soft from the molt though. In any case it doesn't seem to be bothering her, she's mobile as ever and if they are anything like tarantulas the leg should be fixed over the next couple molts. I'm going to wait two or three days before giving her anything to eat though since I'm sure her mandibles need to harden. I'll get a picture of her tomorrow and attach it!

 

[Mantis Lady]

Gratz on the molt. That leg will be healed next molt. My hierodula had a bended leg, and next molt it was healed again. Lee will find a out how to use that leg till it is molting time again.

Most of my mantids eat after a day again. if not offer the prey again next day.

 

[MantisGirl13]

I am so glad that the molt went well! It can be surprising how much mantids can eat sometimes! Her foot will heal next molt, and as it is a minor injury it should not bother her too much. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Nicolas]

I believe female Heirodulas still have larger wings overall! Well, at least, my pair of Giants did.

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Mantids only take a couple hours to completely dry out and harden but it's best to wait at least 24 hours before feeding them. You don't have to wait as long as 2 or 3 days to feed, they will likely be very hungry right after their molt and there's no reason to prolong witholding food. You can mist the same day they molted as long as a few hours have passed and they have had time to dry out. Molting takes a lot of fluids out of them so they may be thirsty after (don't worry if they don't drink in front of you, they may do it later when you aren't watching or wait to get their fluids from prey)

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Gratz on the molt. That leg will be healed next molt. My hierodula had a bended leg, and next molt it was healed again. Lee will find a out how to use that leg till it is molting time again.

Most of my mantids eat after a day again. if not offer the prey again next day.

All great news to hear! Thanks Little Mantis!

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

I am so glad that the molt went well! It can be surprising how much mantids can eat sometimes! Her foot will heal next molt, and as it is a minor injury it should not bother her too much. 

- MantisGirl13

Excellent! She certainly doesn't seem to notice or care about the problem at all so it definitely must be something minor.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

I believe female Heirodulas still have larger wings overall! Well, at least, my pair of Giants did.

Awesome! I sure hope she turns out that way! They would look stunning on her!

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Mantids only take a couple hours to completely dry out and harden but it's best to wait at least 24 hours before feeding them. You don't have to wait as long as 2 or 3 days to feed, they will likely be very hungry right after their molt and there's no reason to prolong witholding food. You can mist the same day they molted as long as a few hours have passed and they have had time to dry out. Molting takes a lot of fluids out of them so they may be thirsty after (don't worry if they don't drink in front of you, they may do it later when you aren't watching or wait to get their fluids from prey)

I'm so glad! That's great news! I guess tarantulas are just weird in how long it takes them to harden. I don't like having to wait to feed anything unless they naturally eat very little and infrequently. I'm going to give her something later now so she can restore all of that moisture, weight and energy she must have lost from molting and if she doesn't want it she'll eat it when she's hungry. Interestingly she seems to trust me enough that she'll actually eat outside of her container. That must be a good sign. 

 

[Mantis Lady]

I let all my mantids eat outside their enclosures. I want to know how much they eat. (thinking how to do it when Bob has his wings)

 

[Predatorhousepet]

I let all my mantids eat outside their enclosures. I want to know how much they eat. (thinking how to do it when Bob has his wings)

Yeah, that may be tough. I feed my male Hierodula in his cage, he is very flighty...he'll fly off every few seconds if given the chance 

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Hey guys! Sorry they're so late but here's some recent pictures from today of her after her last molt like I promised!

 

[Mantis Lady]

@AllthingsterrariumShe looks nice?

Yeah, that may be tough. I feed my male Hierodula in his cage, he is very flighty...he'll fly off every few seconds if given the chance 

Bob doesn't fly much. He did it 1x. The feeding is like with the other mantids: out of his home.

 

[Predatorhousepet]

Bob doesn't fly much. He did it 1x. The feeding is like with the other mantids: out of his home.

I think the difference is that you partly raised Bob and I got mine as an adult. He bit me the first day and it is taking a while to gain his trust. We're getting there though.

 

[Mantis Lady]

yeah, it takes time, like as with other animals to trust you.

 

[MantisGirl13]

She is beautiful! Nice pictures.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

She is beautiful! Nice pictures.

- MantisGirl13

Thanks Mantisgirl13! I'm really looking forward to when her wings fully come in!

 

[MantisGirl13]

Yeah! That will be pretty!

- MantisGirl13