My first mantis reached adulthood!

[kynsylph]

This morning I woke up and saw that my mantis, Terror, had moulted to adulthood! He and his brother Francis are the first mantises I've ever had--Francis is due to moult next week, he's a little slower--and I'm glad that the stressful moulting periods are over for Terror.

As you might have noticed, at some point (since birth?) Terror lost the forearm bit of one raptorial appendage but it's since grown back somewhat stubbier (it's the slightly extended arm in the photo).

Here's his entire moulting schedule, which I have kept for all my lil guys:

• Hatching: 6 May
  
• L2: 24 May
  
• L3: 6 June
  
• L4: 18 June
  
• L5: 5 July
  
• L6: 22 July
  
• L7: 5 August? (uncertain of the exact date--he lives in a bioactive vivarium and the cleanup crew ate his old skin before I could see it!)
  
• L8 (subadult): 18 August
  
• L9 (adult): 4 September
  

 

[MantisMart]

Congratulations!!

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Congrats! I highly recommend swapping out that metal mesh, it shreds their feet.

 

[kynsylph]

Congrats! I highly recommend swapping out that metal mesh, it shreds their feet.

Thank you! I heard about that, so I actually sewed fiberglass windowscreen to the roof of his enclosure and that's what he's hanging off of. I hope that's a better material? 

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Yes, it is!

 

[Mantis Lady]

Gratz on the molt