one of my nymphs has just molted (took less time than the other,they are Chinese) and now is green with wings BUT.. the wings are all spread out and loose not tucked under its body like it should be. i can get a picture if you want but i never saw this on my other nymph that just got its wings. the wings look like they are all out to fly and opened up and all crooked. what should i do? he hasnt moved, i didnt spray him and he hasnt eatten since he has planted himself upside down two days ago to molt.
molt gone wrong?
- Thread starter sevenoaks
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i dont know. i know it got scared a couple of times while i was checking on him. i look and he jumps a bit ..this was while he seemed to be getting ready to molt because i didnt see any signs of skin coming off. he must have molted overnight becasue this morning i checked on him and he was out of his skin already.
should i mist him? what should i do? i havent misted in about two days and its hot here.
actually when i think now. i noticed a couple of days ago while he was getting into 'molt position' he fell a couple of times while i misted him because he was on the side of the plastic tub and he cant grip onto the sides when wet. i did notice some green leafy things on his back forming but he was still a bit active at that point, and i dont know if that effected anything , i felt i had to mention it in case it meant anything.
should i mist him? what should i do? i havent misted in about two days and its hot here.
actually when i think now. i noticed a couple of days ago while he was getting into 'molt position' he fell a couple of times while i misted him because he was on the side of the plastic tub and he cant grip onto the sides when wet. i did notice some green leafy things on his back forming but he was still a bit active at that point, and i dont know if that effected anything , i felt i had to mention it in case it meant anything.
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PhilinYuma
Well-known member
Your mantis has mismolted to adult. Learn from experience. Make sure that the humidity is up constantly before the final molt (or any molt, really). It doesn't guarantee success, but it helps. It shouldn't prevent mating, particularly if it's a male. If a female, you might want to trim off the deformed wings with scissors (won't feel a thing!) to make the male's mounting easier.
clip, clip!
ok. is this going to prevent me from releasing it into the wild safely?. i only wanted to care for them until it would get warm enough so i can release them. should i mist him now?
could it be that the wings havent hardened up yet? seems like because he is hanging upside down the wing is falling down. i remember his abdomen after molting would bend in half and hang when he would hang upside down right after a molt. could this be the same idea? just a thought
could it be that the wings havent hardened up yet? seems like because he is hanging upside down the wing is falling down. i remember his abdomen after molting would bend in half and hang when he would hang upside down right after a molt. could this be the same idea? just a thought
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They generally hang with their lower half dangling while the wings pump up with fluid. If it has been a couple days the wings are dry now. It just happens sometimes. Never disturb them right before, during, or after a molt. If it has been two days resume normal feedings, waterings, etc. A pic would help me judge how bad it is.
you can see from the picture the one green wing sticking straight out to side and the underneath looks all black looking. what happened and what can i do or is this ok and will correct itself. should i spray him today?
The black is just the color of the flying wings. That is normal. Will the top wing stay down if you push it down with your finger? The wings look formed ok but they are oriented wrong. It will not correct itself. It won't really cause any problems.
thanks for helping me Rick.. i dont want to touch him now as he seemed stressed out. and when i go to go near him he moves.he hasnt moved from that spot for two days. should i spray him now? he hasnt eatten or gotten misted in days and its hot here. i want to leave him alone but im not sure if its ok
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MantidLord
Well-known member
put food in there, he should be hungry. Dont worry, he seems fine. Just treat him as normal.
he has had two crickets in there all this time. he hasnt touched them and isnt moving from his hanging spot. i dont want to disturb him so i am just spraying the corners of the outside of his tub top to give him some moisture. he hasnt drank in a long time also. i am afraid if i spray his face he will jump and move like he usually does..what should i do?
MantidLord
Well-known member
Hmm... how's his abdomen? Is it extremely flat? Normally, I'd take mine out and observe. However, it could just be taking a little longer to get "settled" from the molt. Also, in my experience with adult male mantids, there appetite seems to be reduced, as if focusing more on mates (common among insects). Although yours isnt ready to mate yet, just adding my opinion.
ismart
Well-known member
Mantids often sit in one spot without moving. That is normal. They are ambush predators and they sit around waiting for food to walk by.
