My pre-sub female molted to subadult last night, and had a serious mismolt. Her thorax is bent, and her back two legs are twisted and curved. one of her raptorials is fine, but the other is bent at 45 degrees. She is having trouble standing, and i thought it would be better to secure her in one spot. Any ideas? Good news is shes eating and drinking, but shes having trouble grasping her prey. Do you think she can recover in her next shed?
mismolt!!!!
- Thread starter hierodula
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MandellaMandy123
Well-known member
I doubt she can recover but you can always try. She will likely have trouble molting next time. What do you mean by securing her in one spot?
happy1892
Well-known member
You will have to keep her upside down somehow when she molts and maybe she will get worse because I had a double shield that got worse! 
happy1892
Well-known member
OK. How are you going to pin the legs? I had a hard time doing that and I used glue.
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lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
If you are going to try something like restraining her... Be aware that she may die from the stress and struggling of being restrained.
Please wait until immediately before the molt if you do it.
Do you have any photos of her condition? It sometimes looks worse than it is, and vice versa.
Please wait until immediately before the molt if you do it.
Do you have any photos of her condition? It sometimes looks worse than it is, and vice versa.
happy1892
Well-known member
Maybe she will get stress from being stuck just before she molts and it might keep her from molting as well but maybe she might get used to it if she stuck for a while and when it is time to molt she is not very stressed out and molts better than if she was stuck just before molting.
happy1892
Well-known member
lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
Actually she doesn't look too bad.
I have seen worse off mantids pull off a correcting molt on their own.
If that is the ceiling of her home that may be the reason why she had a problem to begin with. I would give her a textured and grippable interior. Try gluing screen, sticks, silk plants, (even paper towel if you have to) to most of the surfaces of her enclosure.
Also, it is possible that a mantis can slightly improve their recently molted, bent legs, just by hanging upside down. If that happens, it will happen within a couple of days.
I have seen worse off mantids pull off a correcting molt on their own.
If that is the ceiling of her home that may be the reason why she had a problem to begin with. I would give her a textured and grippable interior. Try gluing screen, sticks, silk plants, (even paper towel if you have to) to most of the surfaces of her enclosure.
Also, it is possible that a mantis can slightly improve their recently molted, bent legs, just by hanging upside down. If that happens, it will happen within a couple of days.
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I wonder why she mismolted, because i have had numerous mantids in these types of enclosures, and they have all pulled off perfect molts, even to adulthood. This was my no mismolt enclosure, well.. until now.
lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
Well, I guess you have some good luck. She may have dropped from the ceiling of the enclosure or got stuck on something, who knows, unless you saw it happen?
I have had a few mantids that have molted fine from that type of lid as well. They just chose to molt from that, despite the other things that I fastened in there for them. <_< I have also had things go wrong with containers that were modified for gripping.
When a mantis begins a molt, they are obviously hanging upside down with their feet and tarsal claws.
That soon changes to an empty piece of skin supporting the weight of the mantis. It can hold on pretty well, but I think that it is more likely to slip if the claws of the skin aren't sunk in to something securely.
I try to limit the opportunity for the insect to make a bad choice by fastening textured things to the places that the insect is most likely to be, whether it is molting, climbing, or just hanging around.
She may have dropped from the ceiling of the enclosure or got stuck on something, who knows, unless you saw it happen?I have had a few mantids that have molted fine from that type of lid as well. They just chose to molt from that, despite the other things that I fastened in there for them. <_< I have also had things go wrong with containers that were modified for gripping.
When a mantis begins a molt, they are obviously hanging upside down with their feet and tarsal claws.
That soon changes to an empty piece of skin supporting the weight of the mantis. It can hold on pretty well, but I think that it is more likely to slip if the claws of the skin aren't sunk in to something securely.
I try to limit the opportunity for the insect to make a bad choice by fastening textured things to the places that the insect is most likely to be, whether it is molting, climbing, or just hanging around.
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lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
You can leave a viewing space, of course, but it will be easier for a handicapped mantis to reach the top if she has alot of grip.
Is she able to hang on her own?
Is she able to hang on her own?
