Possible health issue

[msteacher]

I have a young (not sure exactly how old) S. Aurea mantis and it has started to turn a darker color, in particular on its lower abdomen and legs. It is also more aggressive than usual and disinterested in food. Not sure if it is sick or if it's getting ready to molt, anyone have experience with this? I can't get a picture because its hiding in its plant right now and I don't want to stress it out since I just had it out and was trying to feed it. When it was out it was trying to attack my hand and ignored the waxworms crawling past it even though it usually goes for those right away.

 

[Synapze]

Do you know when it last molted? If it's been around 2 weeks, it's probably about to molt. 

 

[Mantis Lady]

It can be sign for molting then they mostly slap at their prey or do threat pose. Turning darker I havent seen in my mantids really before molting. Think we need to see a pic of the mantis it self. A picture can tell us a lot more than 100 words.

keep us updated

 

[msteacher]

I managed to get a few pics. This Mantis used to be a lighter brown on the legs and underside of its abdomen  , now it's getting darker spots/dark brown legs.

@Synapze It molted about a month ago I think, it was sold to my sister as an L3 or L4 and she gave it to me as a gift so I'm not sure how old it is but guessing its past the 2 week molting phase?

 

[River Dane]

Looks like a subadult based on the wingbuds. A month long wait seems to be typical for the final molt, although I’ve never kept this species, but just in general.

I can’t tell you why the abdomen got darker, but your mantis still looks quite healthy to me. If she becomes lethargic or clumsy, it might be an issue, at which point you might want to look at your feeders.

Keep us updated on her! 

 

[Synapze]

My S. aurea (same colouration) would start looking waxy when she was about to molt, like this one, but I don't recall her exoskeleton darkening. This looks like a "leave me alone for a while" situation. ?  Hope the molt goes well. 

 

[msteacher]

Thanks guys, just wanted to see if anyone else experienced it. Maybe it's a normal color change for her, I'm not sure. It seemed weird that her legs and underside suddenly got darker lol. I'll leave her alone and wait and see, and will update if/when she molts or gets worse.

 

[MantisGirl13]

She looks fine to me. I agree that she is subadult. Once her wingbuds start getting noticeably fat, then you can expect a molt soon. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

If I see this picture, she looks ok. And I am thinking too she is a subadult. The last molt take some time to prepare for.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Yeah I wouldn't worry too much. Some mantises actually go through slight color changes from time to time. I wouldn't be too surprised if, like chameleons, they do it to match their mood right then and there. Just leave some food in there for her. She'll eat when she's hungry. The exciting thing is that she's probably about to get her wings very soon!

 

[Connor]

Nothing to worry about! And as the others have said, she’s definitely a subadult. If you look closely at the wingbuds you can see some of the markings or patterns that will soon appear on the actual wings. It shouldn’t be too much longer although the wingbuds definitely are swollen enough for her to molt yet

 

[msteacher]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone I appreciate it. I'm just a worry-wart when it comes to my pets lol

 

[Synapze]

Make sure you remove all flying or large insect feeders during this time. If it refuses to eat, I suggest removing all flying or large feeders from the enclosure. Even a fly can cause problems during molting. 

It's exciting... good luck!