Hi,
These mantids are the strangest I have ever kept. Reading what other people have experinced I have found that leading up to a moult and just after, the mantids become very lethargic. So much so that they seem to be on the verge of death. They can't, or seem unwilling to, hold themselves properly with their legs all over the place and their raptorial arms held outstretched. Then just when I think they're about to die they make a miraculous recovery and behave normally. This only starts happening around L5/6 and continues thereafter. Last night a male moulted to sub-adult and this morning he was lying on the bottom of the cage looking distinctly ill with his face on the floor. As they get bigger it does seem that the moult takes it out of them, which may explain why some people experience mantids having problems and falling off. Mind are kept in a fine mesh cage on three sides with a perspex front with a few branches and thick twigs inside, which they ignore by the way. Once they get past the first 2 or 3 moults I only spray them to give them a drink, as humidity seems to be constant and temperature around 30C during the day. They eat flies fed on honey and sugar water. I can't for the life of me think why these mantis behave this way because in the wild they would make easy pickings.
These mantids are the strangest I have ever kept. Reading what other people have experinced I have found that leading up to a moult and just after, the mantids become very lethargic. So much so that they seem to be on the verge of death. They can't, or seem unwilling to, hold themselves properly with their legs all over the place and their raptorial arms held outstretched. Then just when I think they're about to die they make a miraculous recovery and behave normally. This only starts happening around L5/6 and continues thereafter. Last night a male moulted to sub-adult and this morning he was lying on the bottom of the cage looking distinctly ill with his face on the floor. As they get bigger it does seem that the moult takes it out of them, which may explain why some people experience mantids having problems and falling off. Mind are kept in a fine mesh cage on three sides with a perspex front with a few branches and thick twigs inside, which they ignore by the way. Once they get past the first 2 or 3 moults I only spray them to give them a drink, as humidity seems to be constant and temperature around 30C during the day. They eat flies fed on honey and sugar water. I can't for the life of me think why these mantis behave this way because in the wild they would make easy pickings.
