My First Mantid Death, HELP

[sutmaejoe]

Came down this morning to find one of my Giant African Mantids dead halfway through a moult.

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n556/sutmaejoe/Giant%20African%20Mantid/First%20Mantid%20Death/004.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n556/sutmaejoe/Giant%20African%20Mantid/First%20Mantid%20Death/003.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n556/sutmaejoe/Giant%20African%20Mantid/First%20Mantid%20Death/002.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n556/sutmaejoe/Giant%20African%20Mantid/First%20Mantid%20Death/001.jpg

Am I doing something wrong, if anything I thought I misted them a bit to often. I did drop him a few days ago could that have caused it? It was so sad my enclosures have snap on lids as I took the lid off to mist the lid jumped out of my hand and the mantid being on the top it got squashed. I had got him to eat a few fruit flys since, thought he was ok.

 

[sppc9876]

Seems like it could be a humidity issue since it looks pretty stuck since the beginning (the head is still attached to the old exo). It is odd that the abdomen is out since most humidity issues dry out the mantis during the later stages of the molt which suggests that maybe some injury prevented the mantis to shed properly. It seems like a pretty young nymph too so injuries are hard to spot. Hopefully it wasn't your last one but if not then just let it go and be more careful next time. Good luck!

 

[sutmaejoe]

It was 3rd Inst just moulting into its 4th. I have another Giant African that moulted into its 4th Inst a few weeks ago. Never had any probs with her or my ghosts so guess it was due to injury. Leason learnt, wont do that again.

 

[lancaster1313]

Sometimes, accidents like that happen. I usually bring a container out over a soft surface(my bed usually}, before I open it, but not all the time. Over time I have learned to predict certain behaviors in my mantids, and plan things out for their safety.

I mist through the screening of my containers, if it is possible.

 

[Rick]

Sometimes this just happens and it happens to all of us. Even when you think you got things perfect it will still happen. There is probably a certain percentage of mantids that are going to mismolt regardless.

 

[gripen]

happens a lot to species with high hatch rates at early molts.

 

[Psychobunny]

Awww, Im sorry to hear your mantis died in mid-molt.

I am a newbie to this hobby, but I could imagine that this can happen sometimes even if you

provide the best care.

It was a pretty green color too

In future (if you arent already), be sure to give their encloser a little mist with distilled or

rain water maybe every other day.

Not much, just one or two quick sprays.

P.S.

They also need air circulation.

I keep a small fan going in the room to keep the air on top of their jars moving.