Is She or Isn't She ?

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Digger

Digger

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I keep molting schedule sheets on each of my mantids, so I can better prepare their environment of the next imminent molt.

Ponder (Parasphendale affinis) molted 18 days ago to, what I believed was sub-adult. I had her timed for her final molt to adult on Thursday (I've been very lucky to predict all of their molts within 10 hours). She missed her Thursday molt and voraciously ate a giant cricket last night (not behavior common to an imminent molt).

So I've taken two cell phone photos of her just a few minutes ago. Still sub-adult or is she a full adult?? What say you? And what do you think of her black-dotted green stripe?

Thanks!

ponder_05-06-13.JPG


ponder2_05-06-13.JPG


 
her wing buds do look a bit swollen like they are supposed to. i just had a stagmo that was timed to molt with an other one but it decided to wait a week longer than the other.

 
She is a subadult. Molts tend to go longer in between the older they get. The last one in particular can take a while.

In the great words of The Claw Goddess, "I will molt when I am ready to." B)

 
She is definitely L6/L7 by the wing buds,so she probably is just still getting more energy for the final molt or so,my batch twos are gearing up for their L7s and they've been at it for atleast 3 days now as well,they just molt slower for the bigger instars,shes getting a good teal face to her,she'll be a nice adult I bet :)

Ponder may be L7 already,so you will notice whether or not she gets full wings this time,and if not then she will have been L6,hope that helps

 
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Definitely subadult, and the wing buds are a tad swollen so it should be soon- but as was said, that last molt can take a while! Keep her nice and fat and plenty of water and she'll molt when she is ready :)

 
OctoberRainne said:
She is definitely L6/L7 by the wing buds,so she probably is just still getting more energy for the final molt or so,my batch twos are gearing up for their L7s and they've been at it for atleast 3 days now as well,they just molt slower for the bigger instars,shes getting a good teal face to her,she'll be a nice adult I bet :)

Ponder may be L7 already,so you will notice whether or not she gets full wings this time,and if not then she will have been L6,hope that helps
Click to expand...
OR - I have "L8" marked on Ponder's calendar as the (previous) molt occurring April 15. Do subadults in this species get to an L8? Or are my counts off?

I appreciate all the feedback regarding a longer cycle from sub to adult. Yes, I've been keeping her condo at a higher humidity as I've learned how critical that is.

 
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Digger said:
OR - I have "L8" marked on Ponder's calendar as the (previous) molt occurring April 15. Do subadults in this species get to an L8? Or are my counts off?

I appreciate all the feedback regarding a longer cycle from sub to adult. Yes, I've been keeping her condo at a higher humidity as I've learned how critical that is.
Click to expand...
Not sure about this specific species but some species do get to L8 as subadult and in some it depends on gender how many instars there are- when she molts next you will see her as an adult with full wings I'm sure.

 
The budwings molt to L8 if female,L7 for males that I've seen and counted,the least she could be is L6,so she'll be adult within a month+ or less even its hard to say in the pics if you shoot one farther away I could better tell her size,but definitely sub still

 

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