Death after molt?

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StevieHification

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So I woke this morning to find two Idolo's and some skin hanging from the top of the cage. After not seeing my 3rd Idolo, I finally came across him as he was laying DEAD underneath the old molt... Maybe another mantis knocked him over? Unlikely but I'll have to consider it... He is in healthy shape. Any other thoughts?

 
I'm sorry that happend. Empusidea have feet that cannot grip as well as other mantids. He was probably knocked over as you said. What kind of cage do you keep them in?

 
Live monarch make pretty grippy cages so I suppose it was another idolo.

 
gripen said:
Live monarch make pretty grippy cages so I suppose it was another idolo.
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Yeah VERY grippy...

Edit: Now after examining the cage one more time I have realized that my Idolo did molt and that the DEAD Idolo didn't even molt just died... Now I'm even more confused on how he died. Uggghhh I hate having them die!

 
I call it idolo death syndrome. I can't explain but maybe someone else can...

 
I don't know how old your Idolo are but net cages really become an issues toward the end of maturity. They are fine for young nymphs if you mist twice a day. Older Idolo will get their feet stuck in the fine mesh and end up pulling off their gripping hooks and the ends of their raptors. Just a heads up to make sure you don't let this happen. ;)

 
Precarious said:
I don't know how old your Idolo are but net cages really become an issues toward the end of maturity. They are fine for young nymphs if you mist twice a day. Older Idolo will get their feet stuck in the fine mesh and end up pulling off their gripping hooks and the ends of their raptors. Just a heads up to make sure you don't let this happen. ;)
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So what would you recommend me do? I thought those mesh cages where what people preferred to house mantids in?

 
StevieHification said:
So what would you recommend me do? I thought those mesh cages where what people preferred to house mantids in?
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In general terms, yes. Net cages are awesome. But Idolo have many special needs. Plus many adults of larger species have issues with raptors getting stuck in mesh. Even Chinese adults, for instance.

Idolo, specifically, require more natural textured surfaces for gripping (i.e. branches). Because of their weight they prefer to wrap their feet around a twig rather than hooking into irregularities in the surface. If they can't wrap their feet around branches there is a good chance the skin will drop during molt, and in many instances they tear the hooks from their still soft feet if they try to use them to grip right after molt. So if they don't drop during molt, many die because they fall trying to step off the old skin.

I suggest you check out this thread:

Idolomantis Consolidated

http://mantidforum.n...showtopic=21061

Hope that helps. :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Precarious said:
In general terms, yes. Net cages are awesome. But Idolo have many special needs. Plus many adults of larger species have issues with raptors getting stuck in mesh. Even Chinese adults, for instance.

Idolo, specifically, require more natural textured surfaces for gripping (i.e. branches). Because of their weight they prefer to wrap their feet around a twig rather than hooking into irregularities in the surface. If they can't wrap their feet around branches there is a good chance the skin will drop during molt, and in many instances they tear the hooks from their still soft feet if they try to use them to grip right after molt. So if they don't drop during molt, many die because they fall trying to step off the old skin.

I suggest you check out this thread:

Idolomantis Consolidated

http://mantidforum.n...showtopic=21061

Hope that helps. :)
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I have a bunch of twigs hot glued inside the cage and I have read already read that post. Helped me a lot.

 
StevieHification said:
So I should be good then?
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If there is any chance they can grab mesh instead of twigs you're taking a chance. Some here have raised them all the way to sub only to have them find the wrongs spot and drop while molting to adult. Personally I lost a Heterochaeta sp. because of this and it sux. He was fully out of the old skin, perfect molt, then reached for screen (which is just as damaging as mesh) to step off and tore all his gripping spikes and dropped. He couldn't grip any surfaces after that. I tried everything. He died a few days later. It was a hard lesson.

 

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