Crumpled Adult Rhombodera

[caliman707]

I left overnight for Christmas only to come home & find one of my mantids had molted, but it was just laying on its side in the corner of its cage. I tried to help it out of the corner & it was still moving in studder steps, so i figured it had just molted. I managed to get him into its hanging position so it could properly dry & left it alone overnight. His wings are still all crumpled up & when it walks it has to drag its abdomen & thorax along the ground. His legs seem to be rounded out instead of in. If a mantis dries after a molt with its wings & legs bent, is that how it stays permanently? Is there anything I can do?

 

[Rick]

Nothing you can do. Once they fall they get deformed. I would personally toss it in the freezer for about 20 minutes and end it. Sucks but it happens sometimes.

 

[caliman707]

Nothing you can do. Once they fall they get deformed. I would personally toss it in the freezer for about 20 minutes and end it. Sucks but it happens sometimes.

Yes, it definetly does suck. It sure seems to be suffering so I will take your advice. Thanks.

 

[revmdn]

If it lived to the next molt, could it correct itself? I know they can re-grow injured or missing parts.

 

[Katnapper]

Same thing happened to me tonight when I came home from visiting relatives downstate. Was only gone 1 day (overnight). But my Giant Asian female had molted and was lying in a crumpled heap... abdomen bent, one raptorial arm bent backwards, and barely alive. Sorry to hear I'm not the only one who had a disappointing homecoming.

 

[kamakiri]

Agree with Rick. Nothing you can really do..

Since it's an adult, there's no additional molt to fix the problems.

 

[Orin]

It can't be fixed but if it can still feed you don't have to kill it.

 

[caliman707]

Thanks for the info guys. Sorry to hear you lost one also, Katnapper. It wouldn't have been as sad if it happened when it molted to L3 or something. Its just a really sad site to see the adult mantis that I had been caring for for about 6 months get mortally wounded just after leaping its final hurdle. I realize that I didn't have to kill it, but it really seemed to be suffering. It couldnt even use the little gripping nodes on its "arms". The only way it could grip a branch to climb was to grab it the same way it grabs prey, with its claws. Just by looking at how it moved it really seemed to be in pain. After hearing about using the freezer I figured that since they are cold blooded, instead of freezing being painfull like with humans, it should just kind of go to sleep, like with some of the prey I fed it. It was over in 15 minutes, but I didnt remove it from the freezer for an hour just to be sure. You all have the best of my wishes for the New Year.

 

[revmdn]

I'm very sorry. But now you have room for a new friend. Have a good New Year also.