Idolomantis Consolidated

[Precarious]

Yup! This is the one!

Grrr... And that's the tank we were all excited to see.

Was her skin still attached or does it look like the skin dropped and her with it? I'm betting she molted from the screen and her feet came loose.

I cover all my screens with loose weave mesh from laundry bags. I then cover that with branches as flat to the mesh as possible to prevent the Idolo and flies wedging between the two. What works best for me it to take two thin flat wooden dowels cut to the width of the screen and glue sticks to it. I lay the screen on a flat surface with a piece of mesh cut to size, lay the dowels with twigs attacked over top, then attach the dowels by pushing short lengths of wire ties over them and through the screen and twisting on the outside. This works to keep both the twigs and mesh in place, flush with the screen.

If her skin is still attached she must have fallen when reaching for something as she got off the old skin. That's another problem with Idolo and why it's important to have things to grip at the level they will be while molting. They are heavy so the more they can grab onto the less chance the skin will break and drop them. Maybe consider some vines winding through the branches from top to bottom to each side where there is now only glass. I cover one wall with a grid of branches and vines and see late instar Idolo grab it all the time for extra support after a molt while still hanging from the skin.

It really is tough to make a good enclosure for Idolo. I've only ever had one drop but I'm usually there to help if they chose a bad spot.

 

[LLCoolJew]

Just modified tank by adding plastic grid along the glass, so hopefully that will give a better chance for the second L6. I'll let u know if it helps.

 

[Precarious]

Do you have a pics of your set up that you could post a link to? This thread is a bit too tricky to dig through. Thanks again

I tried to get a photo but there are too many flies for me to open it to get a good view. Maybe I'll post a separate thread in the near future.

Just modified tank by adding plastic grid along the glass, so hopefully that will give a better chance for the second L6. I'll let u know if it helps.

That may be all it takes to help them out, so long as they stay clear of the screen.

 

[sporeworld]

I've yet to find anything better for molting than the spongy carpet liner I've got on almost all my enclosures now. And, as much as I LOVE decorations, the less clutter (IMO) the better. With the liner on the top, they don't need assistance from other branches - they climb right up their own skin.

This is an older picture, but my last dozen adults all molted from a nearly empty tank. Only fake plant materials in the corners to help angle a climb.

To each his own, as they say, but this really, really works.

 

[Precarious]

To each his own, as they say, but this really, really works.

I agree. Whatever works. My only real criticism of the enclosure in your photo is that it looks like the flies can get between the screen and your carpet liner, leading your Idolo to strike at the screen.

 

[sporeworld]

Yup! But I've decided that's a "featutre", not a "bug" (pun intended). They'd make feeble attempts (occassionally), but it's super-soft material, so no harm done. And I LIKE it when the flies get up in there and chill out. They're less annoying, and all I do is tap the cage, and they come whizzing out (and get snapped up).

With some of the cages, I glued it in place so tight that there were no gaps. But I moved away from that design, and stuck with the looser fitting mesh in the end. I used "ribs" on later designs - strips of tighter-woven material - to help get a better glue-grip on the screen.

 

[gripen]

i dont glue... i sew my grid to the top

 

[sporeworld]

i dont glue... i sew my grid to the top

Yeah - that's a great approach. I'd prefer to do that (maybe with nylon fishing line). Just been too lazy. Even considered staples at one point.

Another option, depending on how your tank-top is designed, is to lay it down and close the screen lid on top of it to hold it in place. Mine isn't set up like that, but I've seen some that are.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

OMG!!! Came home from work to read this misfortune?

Sorry LL about the L6(Noooo!), I'll post what work's for me so you can look again, I'm not a genie in a bottle by any means but I do keep them with little to no death's from L1 to adult as a rule. Yes some will get eaten on a molt or a fall can happen once in a blue moon since I keep more than one in a tank BUT, they do need a level type molting surface, or one or more legs will not molt at the same time given the lower leg on a uneven surface could pop out much later and end up sticking or result in a fall trying to pull the leg out 20 minutes later. I know it sounds like a small detail but it's not in the long run?

There's also a sucky a thing called bad luck which haunts everyone from time to time? LOL

Pm me if you want to try and get you back in the saddle with this Beautiful species not that you did something wrong but I feel your pain.

 

[lunarstorm]

Grr. One of my sub-adults appears to suddenly be near-death. After a tough day at work, it was a double-whammy to come home and find her on the floor of the netcube. I'm not convinced I've done anything wrong, she started ignoring food a couple of days ago and I thought a molt was imminent so I raised humidity levels and temps a bit.

She has no injuries or physical symptoms that I can see except for being very, very weak and refusing to eat (no go on a mashed fly). I doubt she'll still be around in 24 hours but there's still hope, however slim.

It's especially tough to get *this* close to adulthood and not make it. Grr.

 

[sporeworld]

I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. Are you SURE she didn't molt, and THEN fell, and you just can't see the skin (I know, hard to miss)? Or is she really, really close to molting, and then just happened to fall?

Do you have something rigged on the top of the net cube? Subadult is going to have trouble molting from it, unless you've got an alternative gripping surface.

 

[lunarstorm]

I'm guessing she was really, really close to molting and just happened to fall. I didn't see any evidence of a molt (like you said, hard to miss) but it's possible. I didn't handle her for long - just enough to attempt a hand-feeding, water, and ensure that she still has enough strength to barely hang of her own accord.

Regarding the top of the cube, yeah I think it's a solid setup. The plastic side is the floor and a grid of sticks is secured to the ceiling. In addition to carefresh bedding and a paper towel at the base, I have several large soft and absorbant materials to aid with humidity (foam, sponges, etc.) It's not nearly as attractive as the gorgeous Sporeworld setups but I thought it has worked well thus far, mantids nor feeders have never been stuck in the sticks, I've had a 100% molt success rate (just two mantids), etc. etc.

If she doesn't make it, and/or any of my other mantids start mismolting, I'll take steps to up my humidity (humidifier) and go from there.

I didn't have super high expectations to get two adults from just two nymphs but my hopes surged when they both hit sub-adult awhile back.

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah - that sounds about right.

I've got no issues with the netcube - it has it's function. I ended up putting the majority of my adult Idolos in the really, really big ones (I think it's like 70"). Pretty much as you described.

It's hard to keep the humidity high enough with netcubes. In my experience, that critical 40% RH seems to be the number to beat. Under that, and I started seeing body parts get stuck - especially antenae, which, as I understand it, don't regrow with subsequent molts.

 

[lunarstorm]

Confirmed, mismolt. She made progress before succumbing. I know it sometimes happens but this is my first/only mismolt in months, to have it happen on the final molt for a gorgeous idolo.... Bah.

Time to up the humidity to better ensure a constant 40-50+ RH.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Sorry to hear that. I make sure I mist VERY heavily at night past L5-6 to get the humidity up before lights off due to the fact they almost always molt in the night or early morning, after a good misting the RH is over 90% and holds(I use only glass after L6) high over night with the light's off.

What their feet are digging into is very important during the last 2 molts, the more like cork/bark it is the better they can dig in. I've dealt with and gotten through about all Idolo's can dish out in having several different generation of them now, but I still lose one once in a while to a untimely death myself so I feel your pain..

 

[lunarstorm]

Sorry to hear that. I make sure I mist VERY heavily at night past L5-6 to get the humidity up before lights off due to the fact they almost always molt in the at night or early morning, after a good misting the RH is over 90% and holds high over night with the light's off.

What their feet are digging into is very important during the last 2 molts, the more like cork/bark it is the better they can dig in. I've dealt with and gotten through about all Idolo's can dish out in having several different generation of them now, but I still lose one once in a while to a untimely death myself so I feel your pain..

Thanks man, I appreciate that. One of these days I'll try to get a large batch of idolo nymphs and give a serious run at getting a viable ootheca. Your success is an inspiration!

By just having two, I wanted to gain some experience and a better understanding of their needs before I dive into it. I'm sad to be down to just one but it's a learning experience; I just hope my last idolo gets her wings...

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

Is this odd, i'm testing conditions with one of my idolos, he is in a net cube, with sticks, but he only walks on the mesh for some reason, and he is being kept at 84 degrees, 30-40% RH, and has had NO health issues, is actually a little more active them my idols in the exoterra? He is L5/6.

 

[Termite48]

Mark: Are you saying that this carpet liner does away with the need for sticks. I am behind the 8 ball and was just getting ready for attempt number 2 with this gorgeous species of mantis and now I am finding a different approach to solve the delicate matter of molting in the later stages when adulthood is near. What exactly is a carpet liner. In my younger years I bought a lot of carpet and I never came across the term carpet liner. Is is something like a wrapping over carpet on the roll? Where does one get it?

 

[patrickfraser]

It's thin,airy, and spongy. It is used to keep things from sliding around on shelves and to keep rugs from slipping on hard wood or slick flooring. Here is a link to what it is. http://www.organizei...liner-taupe.asp

I picked some up at Big Lots.

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah - that's the stuff I use on the sides, but it doen't enough light in for viewing. So I went to Jo Ann's Fabric and got this instead (below), and it's all I use now.

Here's the tag (I took a picture of it when I was there).

Here's where it really comes in handy - this is the pose they take after "The Flip". If she has a bad front leg, you simply won't get pretty wings. The angle is that critical.

Here you can see the tighter, shelf-liner variety used on the sides (and to add background color). And the wider mesh for the top.

Here's the finished product in action.

And here's an entire setup.

And here's a close up of their little feet gripping in!