MantidLover21
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- Apr 21, 2012
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It started with an ootheca purchesed at our local gardening store. A few weeks later, out came 150+ tiny praying mantids. We let most of them go, keeping but two (the second one died when she was very young). I raised my praying mantid normally; it turned out to be a male. I quickly found out he was a chinese mantid, and I creativally named him 'Manty'. He came on vacation with us (and stayed in the hotel!) went camping with us (mmm...delecious forest bugs) and I kept good care of him. When he was L3, he became ready to molt to L4. That's when the problem started...he had a mismolt, and I had to help him out of his skin. He back two legs were twisted and deformed after that molt. I was told they would heal but...several more molts came and went and he didn't 
Manty got along pretty well with his deformation. I fed him all wild caught food- grasshoppers, flies and lacewings mainly. He molted again and got his wingbuds. He then molted to his adult form....
Every time he molted, he would fall. It was because of his legs, of course. And so when he molted to his adult form, his wings dried crumpled. A few days later I noticed one of his claws grew black and hard and he could no longer use it.
He wasn't eating; his abdomen looked almost flat. He would simply lie in his cage. Yesterday I picked him up and held him for a good hour, stroking his wings. I knew it was time. I didn't want him to just waste away in his cage, unhappy. I knew he would prefer a quick way out.
I can't beleive how attached you can get to a bug R.I.P Manty. I plan to get a few more mantids in the fall, though I will never forget my first mantis.
Manty got along pretty well with his deformation. I fed him all wild caught food- grasshoppers, flies and lacewings mainly. He molted again and got his wingbuds. He then molted to his adult form....
Every time he molted, he would fall. It was because of his legs, of course. And so when he molted to his adult form, his wings dried crumpled. A few days later I noticed one of his claws grew black and hard and he could no longer use it.
He wasn't eating; his abdomen looked almost flat. He would simply lie in his cage. Yesterday I picked him up and held him for a good hour, stroking his wings. I knew it was time. I didn't want him to just waste away in his cage, unhappy. I knew he would prefer a quick way out.
I can't beleive how attached you can get to a bug
R.I.P Manty. I plan to get a few more mantids in the fall, though I will never forget my first mantis. 
