Not eating and dying after molting...?!

[Leene]

I only have 4 mantis religiosa little ones left. The others died because after they molted, for some reason unknown they refused to eat and died of starvation. I tried to feed them and made them drink some water, but they got weaker every day and eventually died.

This morning, one of the 4 left has molted again. She has molted 2 times now, not counting the hatching from the ooth. What must I do if she refuses eating? I would hate to see them all go...Theyre my only mantises. I really do my best to make them as comfortable as I possibly can.

Why do they refuse to eat sometimes even when theyre obviously starving...?

 

[Rick]

Nobody will be able to tell you why. We just don't know. I have found that those are hard to keep. Every time I have tried it has ended badly.

 

[Birdfly]

I've kept this species for a generation or two and found them fairly average mantids to rear (mine were wild caught/found ootheca)

I have heard that if not over wintered the nymphs can be weak, tricky to rear and usually die after a while.

 

[Leene]

Hmm..I dont know about the ooth, my mum found it and brought it from France. They usually dont eat the day before molting, right?

What about the day after? Should i feed them right after their exoskeleton has hardened?

 

[Birdfly]

Usually leave it a few days, they wont starve but the odd one will feed after 24 hours or even earlier, no really hard and fast rule, a few days is ample

 

[The_Asa]

Ughh. Religiosa is my most hated species of mantis. I never seem to do anything wrong, yet they continually die of reasons like failing to eat or not eating enough. Even the adults were giving me headaches.

 

[Leene]

<_< Thats really sad...I didnt choose the species, but if i could, i would never have picked them..Anyways, the 3 that have molted are eating, so thats positive.

 

[idolomantis]

dont like this spieces... i got the same as rick.

 

[Leene]

Well the 4 i have left are eating regularly and getting fat. So thats positive news

 

[Leene]

They have all molted again now. The 2 that molted yesterday are eating again. I'm going to make sure number 3 and 4 start eating today aswell. I think I only have 1 female There's 1 little guy thats slightly bigger that the others.

 

[ExoticOddities]

Try different feed types.

I have had some mantids that would refuse crickets, but would eat flies. I have had some that would ignore flies, but devour moths or flying mosquitoes or gnats.

Since yours are tiny, try getting a very fine fish net and collecting gnats "no-see-ums," or even check local plants for aphids, and try mixing-up what you feed them to see if they show a preference any one food type in particular.

Jack

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