you're welcome, and it depends on the species, but it is usually around 2-3 weeks on average id say.Thanks Mantidbro,
That gives more more clues on what to look for for the upcoming molt.Does the l4-l5 molt take 2 weeks or a bit longer?
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Glad to hear that she is eating *and* able to hold on to her food a bit! Mrs. Pickles got to feast on a blue bottle fly yesterday, she gobbled it up waaaay faster than her mealworms. Just a trip in the fridge to slow down, decapitation, then skewer and I barely needed to put guts to her mouth before she snatched it Now that I have pupa emerging at a good rate, I will probably stick with these over mealworms (which I went out in a thunderstorm to get when I had no flies, oh the things we do!).
MantidBro - That vid above is stellar and helps prepare us for how to help during the next molt...just in case. Thanks for making it!
Vespertino - Are you monitoring temp in your carolina's enclosure? I am trying to keep mine on the higher side for her species, in the hopes that that and keeping her on the fatter side will make the next molt come sooner.
Now that I have pupa emerging at a good rate, I will probably stick with these over mealworms (which I went out in a thunderstorm to get when I had no flies, oh the things we do!).MantidBro - That vid above is stellar and helps prepare us for how to help during the next molt...just in case. Thanks for making it!
Vespertino - Are you monitoring temp in your carolina's enclosure? I am trying to keep mine on the higher side for her species, in the hopes that that and keeping her on the fatter side will make the next molt come sooner.
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Id stick with flies too, its just that i have a hard time keeping them going! its easier for me to breed mealies. But heck, if flies were as easy, id definitely be using those... Forever!! lolGlad to hear that she is eating *and* able to hold on to her food a bit! Mrs. Pickles got to feast on a blue bottle fly yesterday, she gobbled it up waaaay faster than her mealworms. Just a trip in the fridge to slow down, decapitation, then skewer and I barely needed to put guts to her mouth before she snatched it
MantidBro - That vid above is stellar and helps prepare us for how to help during the next molt...just in case. Thanks for making it!
Vespertino - Are you monitoring temp in your carolina's enclosure? I am trying to keep mine on the higher side for her species, in the hopes that that and keeping her on the fatter side will make the next molt come sooner.
Youre welcome for the vid!
Heat definitely speeds up the process!!
Vespertino
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Well, sad news. I wasn't able to read all the signs well enough, she molted in the middle of the night and as would be expected fell in the process. This time she was coiled in a tight circle on the floor of the deli cup when I found her, and she's already hardened in that position so she was beyond saving. The good news is that she managed to get one of her hind legs back, but from the looks of it she had trouble freeing her front body and arms during the molt. She was still alive, struggling, and I removed as much of the stuck molt skin as I could but it was clear she was so terribly deformed this time there was no chance she could molt out of it.
I put her in the freezer and gave her decent burial in my basil patch of the garden.
I have another that mis-molted last week, it also had it's forearms and head stuck (I managed to free her arms but her prothotax was deformed and curved) so her back/raptors are all crooked but I'm able to feed her by hand. Let's hope I can save that one, it has it's hind legs in order so she can hang just fine, it's just the front half that's a problem.
Birdie, any updates on Ms. Pickles? How is she doing?
I put her in the freezer and gave her decent burial in my basil patch of the garden.
I have another that mis-molted last week, it also had it's forearms and head stuck (I managed to free her arms but her prothotax was deformed and curved) so her back/raptors are all crooked but I'm able to feed her by hand. Let's hope I can save that one, it has it's hind legs in order so she can hang just fine, it's just the front half that's a problem.
Birdie, any updates on Ms. Pickles? How is she doing?
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Oh no, I'm so sorry that she didn't make it She was lucky to have someone to care and handfeed her since the last molt, and end her suffering quickly when it became apparent there was no hope. RIP little carolina girl, may she forever catch bugs and enjoy the sunshine in your basil!
Since your second can climb and hang well, her chances should be very high for fixing her issues with the next molt, wishing you tons of luck
Mrs. Pickles hasn't molted yet, but I am sooo nervous for when she does! Every morning I peek in, ready to find the worst. About a week ago her color seemed to change a bit, with what looks like some green coming in between the abdominal segments, and she looked a little "wrinkled" on the rest of her abdominal exoskeleton, so I was all excited and on standby. But other than that, she didn't slow down and no other molting signs. She is pretty big (I think she may actually be an L5 rather than L4 as I earlier thought), and afraid that the two legs won't be enough to hold her weight with the next molt. It's also hard to say how her appetite is, as if I don't get her fly guts to touch her mouth ASAP, she gets annoyed and bats it away, but once guts hit ground zero, it's munching time - don't know if guts-to-mouth trigger overrides the natural reduction in feeding close to molting. I have generally slowed down my feeding frequency just to be on the safe side, and keeping her full but not too fat.
Finger's crossed for your newest mis-molt!
She was lucky to have someone to care and handfeed her since the last molt, and end her suffering quickly when it became apparent there was no hope. RIP little carolina girl, may she forever catch bugs and enjoy the sunshine in your basil!Since your second can climb and hang well, her chances should be very high for fixing her issues with the next molt, wishing you tons of luck
Mrs. Pickles hasn't molted yet, but I am sooo nervous for when she does! Every morning I peek in, ready to find the worst. About a week ago her color seemed to change a bit, with what looks like some green coming in between the abdominal segments, and she looked a little "wrinkled" on the rest of her abdominal exoskeleton, so I was all excited and on standby. But other than that, she didn't slow down and no other molting signs. She is pretty big (I think she may actually be an L5 rather than L4 as I earlier thought), and afraid that the two legs won't be enough to hold her weight with the next molt. It's also hard to say how her appetite is, as if I don't get her fly guts to touch her mouth ASAP, she gets annoyed and bats it away, but once guts hit ground zero, it's munching time - don't know if guts-to-mouth trigger overrides the natural reduction in feeding close to molting. I have generally slowed down my feeding frequency just to be on the safe side, and keeping her full but not too fat.
Finger's crossed for your newest mis-molt!
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Mantis Man13
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Hope you succeed in keeping your mantis alive and well!
Well, Mrs. Pickles molted last night. I woke up 15 min late (darn snooze button!), and when I checked on her I realized she was hanging on her climbing wall, which she hardly ever does. Peeked closer and saw her molted skin! First a happy dance as she at least had not fallen, and her abdomen and head/raptorials looked great. Then I realized she only had one leg on one side, hrm ok. Then I realized the other hind leg still was still in molted skin from the distal tibia on. Trying to save it, I tried to gently tease it off, but it was dried - sprayed water, held the foot end of the molt but dropped it and her leg bent . Grabbed the shed again and tried to hold it up and tease it off her leg, but I think the bend I did earlier may have negatively affected her poor fresh molted skin, and off popped the 2nd leg... nline2long:
I am SO glad she managed to hang the whole time, but I think since her rear legs were not attached to anything, as she came out the skin hung on like trying to kick off a wet sock. It might be best that she is legless at this point, hopefully she can regrow those legs (she's at L5/L6 now) and since there won't be a long dangly molted legs to escape from it might actually go 100% right next time! So back to handfeeding until *another* molt and praying no falling again.
Pic of her tangly legs before (was so sad to see her try to walk and they would hook around each other...maybe she will be more agile now!)
Pic when I saw her this morning. I had hot glued a climbing wall to help her get around easier up to a molting disk (pool noodle slice) or stick with pantyhose/yarn around, hoping those would help her stick with only two legs to molt.
Pic later on today, showing stumps (also panyhose horizontal stick near climbing wall)
. Grabbed the shed again and tried to hold it up and tease it off her leg, but I think the bend I did earlier may have negatively affected her poor fresh molted skin, and off popped the 2nd leg... nline2long: I am SO glad she managed to hang the whole time, but I think since her rear legs were not attached to anything, as she came out the skin hung on like trying to kick off a wet sock. It might be best that she is legless at this point, hopefully she can regrow those legs (she's at L5/L6 now) and since there won't be a long dangly molted legs to escape from it might actually go 100% right next time! So back to handfeeding until *another* molt and praying no falling again.
Pic of her tangly legs before (was so sad to see her try to walk and they would hook around each other...maybe she will be more agile now!)
Pic when I saw her this morning. I had hot glued a climbing wall to help her get around easier up to a molting disk (pool noodle slice) or stick with pantyhose/yarn around, hoping those would help her stick with only two legs to molt.
Pic later on today, showing stumps (also panyhose horizontal stick near climbing wall)
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Vespertino
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How is Ms. Pickles doing? Is she almost ready for another molt and maybe get her legs back?
Sadly my second mismolt isn't going so well, she either can't or won't eat (in hindsight I think her mouth may have been damaged from the mismolt), and she's been shrinking. This evening she threw up the honey and water I fed her. I'm wondering if the freezer is going to be the best option.
Sadly my second mismolt isn't going so well, she either can't or won't eat (in hindsight I think her mouth may have been damaged from the mismolt), and she's been shrinking. This evening she threw up the honey and water I fed her. I'm wondering if the freezer is going to be the best option.
Vespertino
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Well my second mis-molted mantis has now passed, she couldn't hold herself up and seemed to be in rapid decline over the past couple days (vomiting, gravitating to the bottom of the enclosure, weak, refusing liquids, dull eyes), so I decided to put her in the freezer. Poor girl
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Oh no, so sorry about your second mantis It sure hurts to see them go after putting so much care in for them. I hear that when their mouthparts are affect by a mismolt, it can be quite difficult. RIP poor girl!
Mrs. Pickles STILL has not molted, and it's been about 3 1/2 weeks since her last. Every night I tuck her in thinking she will molt and expecting the worst, and so far every morning it's "you didn't molt yet!?" However, she finally is a pickle! A few days after her last molt she gradually became greener (at first my son and I thought we were imagning it), but she is a gorgeous shade of green now. I will have to put up pics of my son holding her at some point. She also has been taking her flies much faster after this past molt, with much less coaxing needed. I'm just worried that since she is so much larger/heavier that her two legs may not be enough for this coming molt....
And I will be away for Saturday night, I have a feeling that will be the day she chooses to molt and I won't be there to help! But I will check in when she does, for better or worse.
Hope any other mantids you have are doing great and no more mismolts in the near future!
It sure hurts to see them go after putting so much care in for them. I hear that when their mouthparts are affect by a mismolt, it can be quite difficult. RIP poor girl!Mrs. Pickles STILL has not molted, and it's been about 3 1/2 weeks since her last. Every night I tuck her in thinking she will molt and expecting the worst, and so far every morning it's "you didn't molt yet!?" However, she finally is a pickle! A few days after her last molt she gradually became greener (at first my son and I thought we were imagning it), but she is a gorgeous shade of green now. I will have to put up pics of my son holding her at some point. She also has been taking her flies much faster after this past molt, with much less coaxing needed. I'm just worried that since she is so much larger/heavier that her two legs may not be enough for this coming molt....
And I will be away for Saturday night, I have a feeling that will be the day she chooses to molt and I won't be there to help! But I will check in when she does, for better or worse.
Hope any other mantids you have are doing great and no more mismolts in the near future!
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Vespertino
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I'd love to see updated pictures of Ms. Pickles, I'm a fan of the classic green. It's a relief when they eat, isn't it? It almost seems a good appetite is a sign of happiness.
Well, she did *not* molt while I was away Sat night, thank goodness! Cause she molted last night and needed a bit of assistance. She is in one piece (whew), I will post more of an update with pics later today, I just wanted to add in the pic of my son with her over a week ago with no hindlegs and green (though a bit washed out in this pic), which we took for posterity's sake in case she didn't make her next molt.
Yesterday was my B-day, so I stayed up pretty late. Two Ghosts molted that day, and right before midnight my son calls me in this sorta-quite voice to come over to Mrs. Pickles. She was mid-molt, at the point where all legs are out and she is hanging by her abdomen. My first thought was "she didn't fall yet!" Then "oh no...she is in the middle with no wall nearby...". She was molting from her horizontal panty-hosed stick, but not near the mesh wall, smack dab in the middle. I was of course nervous of her molted exoskeleton that was only attached by two legs, and that it might fall if she tried to grab onto that.
I noticed she *did* have some shorty hind legs (yay!) that were fully free, but were midget legs. Eventually, she started wiggling her legs, the midget legs trying to grab up on the molted skin, but she didn't seem to control them well. Then she was kicking around and her molt was shaking dangerously and I feared she would fall. I looked around for anything sorta sturdy yet that she could cling to, and grabbed a hat I had firmly knitted for my daughter (lol), and held that right next to where she was hanging. She grabbed it as soon as it was near, and settled down again, abdomen still attached.
So, I spent about 15 minutes holding a knit hat as still as possible with her holding it with midlegs. Finally her abdomen came free and she held on with raptorials also, and I taped the hat very securely to the enclosure and let her stay there and dry overnight, satisfied she made it through her molt in one piece!
I was not sure about the status of her hind legs. While I was happy she grew some, I am a bit afraid that if she can't stick with them that they might again get stuck in the molt like the last time. Today I took the hat out (she was on it all night, most of the day) to examine her legs/feet. At first, she had them up in the air, but eventually she tried to put them down. It seems like they are shaped normally, complete with feet just much smaller. I think she may not be used to having hind legs that actually *work* after all this time, and seemed to get better at synchronizing them. Hopefully after a few days she will get the hang of them and she can catch prey/hang by all four walking legs.
So...Mrs. Pickles is now a subadult - she has wingbuds! I didn't realize she was this far along, and it means only one more stressful molt to make it through. Best case her midget legs will become full legs and she will be a perfect adult specimen. But even if she has issues and becomes the legless wonder again I will be super happy. We have hand fed her as long as we had her, so doing so for the rest of her adult life will be just fine. Just as long as there is no fall
Bunch of pictures of molting and the next day:
Abdomen still attached, on the hat with only midlegs, then abdomen out (can see wingbuds, but I didn't notice at this point), still not using hindlegs
Her molted exoskeleton on the pantyhose-stick. I think this actually helped her hold on better as she could grip on the sides rather than hang from straight above.
Her midget hindlegs held up and all discombobulated (but shaped normally), then she starts to test them out
Using hindlegs a little more, getting feet to touch and push off a bit. Then last pic more confident with hindlegs, although still steps on own abdomen at times.
My son was so sad when she had lost her legs during the last molt. I don't think he really believed me that they could grow back until he actually saw it!
I noticed she *did* have some shorty hind legs (yay!) that were fully free, but were midget legs. Eventually, she started wiggling her legs, the midget legs trying to grab up on the molted skin, but she didn't seem to control them well. Then she was kicking around and her molt was shaking dangerously and I feared she would fall. I looked around for anything sorta sturdy yet that she could cling to, and grabbed a hat I had firmly knitted for my daughter (lol), and held that right next to where she was hanging. She grabbed it as soon as it was near, and settled down again, abdomen still attached.
So, I spent about 15 minutes holding a knit hat as still as possible with her holding it with midlegs. Finally her abdomen came free and she held on with raptorials also, and I taped the hat very securely to the enclosure and let her stay there and dry overnight, satisfied she made it through her molt in one piece!
I was not sure about the status of her hind legs. While I was happy she grew some, I am a bit afraid that if she can't stick with them that they might again get stuck in the molt like the last time. Today I took the hat out (she was on it all night, most of the day) to examine her legs/feet. At first, she had them up in the air, but eventually she tried to put them down. It seems like they are shaped normally, complete with feet just much smaller. I think she may not be used to having hind legs that actually *work* after all this time, and seemed to get better at synchronizing them. Hopefully after a few days she will get the hang of them and she can catch prey/hang by all four walking legs.
So...Mrs. Pickles is now a subadult - she has wingbuds! I didn't realize she was this far along, and it means only one more stressful molt to make it through. Best case her midget legs will become full legs and she will be a perfect adult specimen. But even if she has issues and becomes the legless wonder again I will be super happy. We have hand fed her as long as we had her, so doing so for the rest of her adult life will be just fine. Just as long as there is no fall
Bunch of pictures of molting and the next day:
Abdomen still attached, on the hat with only midlegs, then abdomen out (can see wingbuds, but I didn't notice at this point), still not using hindlegs
Her molted exoskeleton on the pantyhose-stick. I think this actually helped her hold on better as she could grip on the sides rather than hang from straight above.
Her midget hindlegs held up and all discombobulated (but shaped normally), then she starts to test them out
Using hindlegs a little more, getting feet to touch and push off a bit. Then last pic more confident with hindlegs, although still steps on own abdomen at times.
My son was so sad when she had lost her legs during the last molt. I don't think he really believed me that they could grow back until he actually saw it!
Deathlok
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Best of luck to Mrs. Pickles, she's a beautiful mantis. Fingers crossed she gets full legs when she molts to adult
Vespertino
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Birdie, Ms. Pickles is beautiful!!!! I love that mint color. Sounds like it was an adventure and I'm so glad you were there to help her with her molt, perfect timing! Those little legs look really cute, almost froggy like in a way, and I'm sure they will get longer with her final molt. Grats on the successful molt! It's so nice to hear good news
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I wanted to pop back in here even though this thread is old, to give an update on Mrs. Pickles and hopefully give some hope to those who have had to struggle with the heartache and uncertainty of nursing mismolted mantids. Mrs. Pickles is a miracle mantis to my family, not only because she struggled through so much pain as a nymph to became a beautiful, perfect adult, but that she still is hanging in there with us even though she is approximately 15 months old right now!
She molted to adult 8/31/15, relatively uneventful as she learned quite well how to make her stublegs stick, and was the only molt I did not have to assist. But like her previous ones, I was there to witness. I have pics of her wings slowly filling out, which I hope to post in the future, but in the meantime...
Mrs. Pickles says HI!
Now, since Mrs. Pickles was originally a present for my son (though she became a huge family affair), he has always held her close to his heart. I know I posted a photo earlier of him with Mrs. Pickles before her 2-legged molt in case she never made it through, so I will present more photos of him so happy with his favorite pickle (or, as he says, the smartest pickle in the jar....when she puzzles out how to catch her bugs you can just see the wheels turning!)
Thanksgiving 2015 (cause she is a part of what we are thankful for!):
Yesterday (8/3/16):
One of the greatest things about her having all of her legs functions (last walking legs are needed for support when catching prey), she was finally able to eat all on her own! So proud of her, and I can tell she enjoys stalking and catching. As much as I miss the bonding time with handfeeding, it did get tiresome here or there. Her and her roach cup, though she also catches roaches that are free/hiding in her enclosure:
And one last photo to give a better idea of how her hindlegs have grown since her stubby subadult ones. They *might* not still be exactly normal full length, but they are perfectly functional and she is able to move/act like any other of my "normal" mantids. I have some vid I might eventaully post of her moving around (and being soooo cute!) despite her age/slowness now.
I know I read a post on here where someone had an S. viridis at 17 months and felt like she still had a few months left in her. Here is to Mrs. Pickles hopefully setting a record and making it even longer despite her hard times. She also laid at least 5 ooths (the last was a looong time ago, I don't think she may produce anymore), but as we had no male for her, no little pickles to carry on her legacy. But I don't think any other pickle could replace her. Thanks again to everyone on here who helped me!
She molted to adult 8/31/15, relatively uneventful as she learned quite well how to make her stublegs stick, and was the only molt I did not have to assist. But like her previous ones, I was there to witness. I have pics of her wings slowly filling out, which I hope to post in the future, but in the meantime...
Mrs. Pickles says HI!
Now, since Mrs. Pickles was originally a present for my son (though she became a huge family affair), he has always held her close to his heart. I know I posted a photo earlier of him with Mrs. Pickles before her 2-legged molt in case she never made it through, so I will present more photos of him so happy with his favorite pickle (or, as he says, the smartest pickle in the jar....when she puzzles out how to catch her bugs you can just see the wheels turning!)
Thanksgiving 2015 (cause she is a part of what we are thankful for!):
Yesterday (8/3/16):
One of the greatest things about her having all of her legs functions (last walking legs are needed for support when catching prey), she was finally able to eat all on her own! So proud of her, and I can tell she enjoys stalking and catching
. As much as I miss the bonding time with handfeeding, it did get tiresome here or there. Her and her roach cup, though she also catches roaches that are free/hiding in her enclosure:
And one last photo to give a better idea of how her hindlegs have grown since her stubby subadult ones. They *might* not still be exactly normal full length, but they are perfectly functional and she is able to move/act like any other of my "normal" mantids
. I have some vid I might eventaully post of her moving around (and being soooo cute!) despite her age/slowness now.
I know I read a post on here where someone had an S. viridis at 17 months and felt like she still had a few months left in her. Here is to Mrs. Pickles hopefully setting a record and making it even longer despite her hard times. She also laid at least 5 ooths (the last was a looong time ago, I don't think she may produce anymore), but as we had no male for her, no little pickles to carry on her legacy. But I don't think any other pickle could replace her. Thanks again to everyone on here who helped me!
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Glad to see Mrs. Pickles did so well. 15 months is amazing, hopefully she has several more months left.
Are you planning on getting another mantid when the time comes? If nothing else use it as a excuse to try a new species. It is a negative trait of the hobby to be sure, the short lifespan, I've found it easier to get another one. Each nymph tends to have their own personalities and traits (even in the same species), and is what keeps me going.
15 months is amazing, hopefully she has several more months left.
Are you planning on getting another mantid when the time comes? If nothing else use it as a excuse to try a new species. It is a negative trait of the hobby to be sure, the short lifespan, I've found it easier to get another one. Each nymph tends to have their own personalities and traits (even in the same species), and is what keeps me going.
