Orchid grip issues

[glock34girl]

Orchid female came through adult molt fine until she went to grip to dry wings only to find out she has no grip in any if her feet. Anyone else had this? I don't want to put her out if misery if its workable.

 

[jrh3]

try some of the soft side of velcro, or easier some of that green felt. they sell it in rolls its like what is on a pool table but thicker. i know hobby lobby has it for people building mini ecosystems they call it imitation grass. is she over weight?

 

[glock34girl]

No, not overweight. I've tried her on the Velcro and the felt (teachers have this stuff at the ready in their homes) lol I tried her on screen, mesh, bark, her normal free range perch, even a cloth deli lid and vermiculite. She literally can't even grip my skin. The only thing that seems to make her stop flailing is being held on resting on a soft bed of excelsior. I've checked her feet with a macro lens and all seems normal as far as not loosing anything during the molt. Her skin was also very secure to the screen where she molted. It's the weirdest thing.

 

[sally]

Wow, strange. Is she content to sit in a leaf on the bedding or does she keep trying to climb? If she is content to sit then she can live fine, just give her easy food. Can her raptors even hold prey?. You prob tried everything, but I will suggest it just in case, the soft shelf liner rolls like in Idolomantis consolidated. Please keep is updated, hope it changes for her.

 

[dgerndt]

If she's okay with sitting on the excelsior, then I would just let her stay that way. You can hand feed her and she might be able to live a relatively normal life.

 

[Paradoxica]

Can she grip small twigs that she could kind of wrap her tarsi around?

 

[glock34girl]

I tried a variety of twigs and she just can't get anything. It's so sad. I did discover one thing, she seems to do better in terms of crawling when she's placed on a soft baby blanket. I folded one and placed her on it and placed a screen lid over her, misted and turned on a mild heat lamp. She moved quickly but still attempts to climb which then ends with her on her back so I lessened the space and she seems okay and is grooming. Her raptorials seem to occasionally cross.

 

[sally]

Awww poor mantis.

 

[aNisip]

What about shelf liner? Its basically already grippy just she needs to touch it....

 

[Bug Trader]

I had a presub orchid molt a month or so ago and end up with this same issue. Problem is there is risk of bacterial infection and other issues with the mantid just staying on the floor of the viv. Mine molted perfect, I have pics yet she could not grip anything and it never got better. I did consider "mounting" her upside down in the viv but figured stress would play a role and shes chew her limbs off. I put her down because she seemed stressed, and hand feeding didn't work well orchids are already a flighty species. I have no idea what went wrong, where did yours come from?

 

[glock34girl]

I had a presub orchid molt a month or so ago and end up with this same issue. Problem is there is risk of bacterial infection and other issues with the mantid just staying on the floor of the viv. Mine molted perfect, I have pics yet she could not grip anything and it never got better. I did consider "mounting" her upside down in the viv but figured stress would play a role and shes chew her limbs off. I put her down because she seemed stressed, and hand feeding didn't work well orchids are already a flighty species. I have no idea what went wrong, where did yours come from?

Yeah I was worried about infection too just being on the bottom. She molted perfectly then went to flip and that was when she and I disk she had no grip. I have pictures of the molt then the drop. :-( I got her from mantid_mike's classified ad a few weeks back. I don't know if he raised as a nymph or where he acquired her. I emailed him to see if he's ever experienced this with his.

As far as shelf liner paper... I don't know. Seems like it might be a problem, maybe stressful for her? Have you tried that before Andrew? I think if she doesn't eat on her own or at least walk well, I will have to put her down. I'd hate to watch her struggle.

 

[aNisip]

I use shelf liner at the tops of the enclosures for the older mantises and ones about to molt...it works perfect for them...so I have no negative things abt it...

 

[glock34girl]

I use shelf liner at the tops of the enclosures for the older mantises and ones about to molt...it works perfect for them...so I have no negative things abt it...

Okay well I will be off to Walmart then. God I hate that store

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I was also going to suggest the grated shelf liner. It is as easy to grip as you can get. It is also easy to clean and has some softness to it so if she is falling at times that can also be good.

 

[glock34girl]

Haha Andrew I was thinking the contact shelf liner. Then I realized what you guys werez talking about and actually I have some. Unfortunantly I put her in it and nothing. Seems when I was at work she broke her raptor too so.... I think it's the end of the road. :-(