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Ghost_Keeper

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My male orchid is molting to maturity as I type! I'm super excited but super scared, as he's stopped moving and is just sitting there. Is this normal (BTW I've never actually seen one of my babies molt in person, so I'm a little freaked)

r2jMk1o.jpg


 
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Yes that is normal. This is the time when you should step away and not disturb.

 
Update: woke up and he successfully moulted! he's already got those bronze colours in, and he's flaring his sexual organs right now..

 
Update: woke up and he successfully moulted! he's already got those bronze colours in, and he's flaring his sexual organs right now..
He was already molted in the picture. You can see him hanging from the old exoskeleton.

 
He was already molted in the picture. You can see him hanging from the old exoskeleton.
I was worried he was going to fall. Most of my mantids (bunch of them native so they kinda come in an out) are free range in my room, and the orchid lived on a 2-foot orchid flower. The only mantids I don't let free roam are the delicate species.

(please no Arachnoboards "YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT things, I'm successfully keeping a bred pair of ghosts, a couple Carolinas, the orchid, and a Painted wing)

 
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They do this hanging behavior right after molting. After some time they will flip over.

 
Yes that is normal. This is the time when you should step away and not disturb.
Gf bought an orchid mantis from the admin of this site (10/10 would buy from again) and I'm glad I read this board before we did because we knew to leave it be when it came to molting. Some people try misting and whatnot and it seems to end up bad for them.

 

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