S.Lineola average molting timeline

[MingMing]

Sooooo againwith the molting process, I got some sphodromantis lineola and they all hatched on jun 4, now... My question is... some of them started molting on june the 13 and by now, most of them are L3, BUT there are a few lil ones that are still L1... which from what I read its not normal (its supossed they molt every 7-14 days ) They are all fat, their bellies are inmense but some of them are still REALLY tiny. In fact a couple of them are already turning to L3 :S

Is it possible for them to molt soon? What else could I do? They look healthy, hyper active and fat, which seems to be good, BUT they just refuse to molt. For how longer can they be L1 ?

 

[PhilinYuma]

Sooooo againwith the molting process, I got some sphodromantis lineola and they all hatched on jun 4, now... My question is... some of them started molting on june the 13 and by now, most of them are L3, BUT there are a few lil ones that are still L1... which from what I read its not normal (its supossed they molt every 7-14 days ) They are all fat, their bellies are inmense but some of them are still REALLY tiny. In fact a couple of them are already turning to L3 :SIs it possible for them to molt soon? What else could I do? They look healthy, hyper active and fat, which seems to be good, BUT they just refuse to molt. For how longer can they be L1 ?

Ming Ming: As always, you are doing fine! The babies are happy, healthy and full and will molt when they are ready! Is it possible that you missed a molt in some of them? All the figures that you read tend to be averages, with outliers on either side. Also, it is possible that your nymphs have not read the same articles that you have. Do you have any in Angolese?

I have a bunch of shield mantises, and one eclosed to adult one month ahead of all the others, simply because he had't read the right literature. He died a few weeks later of wistfulness. A female ghost did the same thing and eclosed about six weeks after her sisters, only to see her bridegroom die of excitement on the day that they were to be wed.

Mantids decide to molt based on the hormones being produced in their bodies, not the amount of food. They'll molt the minute thay are ready! (I said that twice, so it must be true!)

 

[Rick]

Why do you say it is not normal? What is normal? They often grow at different rates. There is no set timeline for molting because it often depends on temperatures, food availability etc. You, like many other new people to this hobby worry far too much about nothing.

 

[MingMing]

Good to hear its "normal" ...

 

[Rick]

Good to hear its "normal" ...

Maybe not the norm but probably not abnormal. I've seen it enough times that I don't think it is abnormal. Don't worry about things just enjoy. It sounds like you are doing right by them.