Mantids upside down, failing to thrive--please help

[cwebster]

The mantis I put in a mantis mansion a week ago was lying  upside down on the bottom just now. He does not seem to have been eating or drinking water. He refused honey (mouth didnt move). Am not sure what to do. I put him back in a deli cup but he is too weak to climb a stick.

two others about the same size recently quit eating and acted similarly...too weak to walk up a stick ir hang from a deli cup top. They too refypysed honey. Both tried molting horizontally on the bottom of their deli cups, strangely. One emerged deformed but eats honey now...the other was stuck and I freed him but he is not doing very well. They molted on the floor if the deli cups! I helped the one get out by hanging his skin from a safety pin but he has defirmities. 

what am I doing wrong? The temp is about 74 and humidity is about 60. There are others in deli cups doing ok so far and one in a mantis mansion who seems ok so far. The one I just discovered upside down was a little lethargic recently but not totally inactive. 

i am feeding them hydei and small crickets. 

Please help! Thanks.

 

[cwebster]

I put him on a plastic  screen at about a 30 degree angle headed downwards. Is he getting ready to shed? That is the way the other two acted before they tried to shed. But why did they try to shed on the ground? I am so heartbroken by all the mismolts.

 

[steeve]

I'm so sorry for the unfortunate turn, that must be really heartbreaking. I hope the rest turn out alright. 

What type of mantises do you have? Certain breeds need even higher temps and an extra misting during molting to help them wiggle out. Do your cups have a good lid they can cling to and a way to climb back to the top if they're on the bottom (ie mesh on the side of the cup)? Plastic mesh can make it easy to fall off when molting, you can put some tulle or even a paper towel on parts of the lid for them. I try to put my guys in a quiet, secluded spot when they try to molt to keep distraction to a minimum.

There's also the possibility of them getting a bad feeder. If you're worried about them eating you can try getting some mealworms or waxworms from your local pet store, dipping them in honey, and cutting them so you can press the goey side to the mantises mouth to entice them to eat. You can try a few days of mealworms to see if the rest of your mantises stay healthy.

Also did you use any harsh chemicals on the inside of the enclosures before putting the mantids in there? They may be coming in contact with something like that, or something that lingered if you didn't sanitize the cups beforehand. 

 

[cwebster]

Steeve, thanks for the prompt reply. The deli cups have soft cloth mesh on top. I dont know of any chemicals anywhere. Will try offering mealworm guts woth honey. The mantises are tenodora sinensis. I mist the deli cups inside twice daily. I put sticks that nearly reach the cup tops and paper towel on the bottom. The mantis I wrote about slipped off the screen so I righted him but he just has no energy. 

 

[steeve]

I hope they take the mealworms! The honey should entice them. 

Hm. Tenodora sinensis don't need extreme humidity so if you're spraying a deli cup that often, it's probably around 80-90 daily, which may be making them uncomfortable since they prefer 40-60. The humidity in my home is 50 and I typically spray deli cups like once every 3 days since they retain it quite well. Also make sure you're using clean, non tap water to avoid all potential chemicals. 

Theres also a chance you're having freak luck and got a couple of weak mantises. Unfortunately there's not much we can do to figure out what's bothering them.