Shedding question

[Birdmad Girl]

Hi all.

I'm new here and new to mantid keeping, though not a stranger to keeping other insects and exotics.

I recently acquired a Sphodromantis Viridis, fairly small though large enough to accept small crickets rather than the pinhead crickets. I named her Kiwi.

I've never seen a praying mantis shed before, and I suspect this is what is happening by her appearance, but I can't seem to find any description anywhere online about the changes that happen to a mantis when preparing to shed. I wondered if anyone here could please describe this to me as I have been worried that there is something wrong, though my experience with other creatures suggests this is nothing to worry about.

She stopped eating about 4-5 days ago, when before that she was eating like mad. She's changed colour and shape, from bright vibrant green to a dark, crusty looking green. Her abdomen that was plump has gone almost flat, which seemed to happen overnight. I am guessing that soon she'll pop out of her skin, but not sure how long this process takes or when to know whether there is something wrong. She's being kept nice and humid at the moment.

If anyone could please describe to me what usually happens and how long it takes, I'd be very grateful. It's always a worry when experiencing something for the first time, and it would really help to know that everything is how it should be.

Many thanks!

 

[LauraMG]

Well, the signs usually are that they stop eating, some can change colors. Usually, however, if their abdomen is plump in my experience it stays that way until they're done molting. I just had one molt into adulthood that didn't eat for 10 days and her abdomen is still plump. You may try some other prey, like maybe a moth that you catch outside, and see if it will eat that. Good luck! And when you get a second, if you could tell us a little about yourself in the "Introductions" section, that would be great!

 

[Birdmad Girl]

Hi Laura.

Thanks for the reply.

Good to know that the lack of eating and the colour change all fits with the shedding possibility. Am worried about the abdomen though, it's really strange because when I first noticed a change in her eating behaviour and a little change in the colour, her abdomen was still fairly large. Then literally by the next morning it seemed like her abdomen had shrunk and she'd got a lot darker. This was yesterday morning. I'd expected her to shed all of yesterday and certainly overnight last night, but still no change. She is moving around a lot, either upside down from the top of her enclosure or she'll climb to a branch.

How long do they actually take to shed? Can the process last for a few days, or just a few hours? I guess I'm comparing it to when my snakes shed, they do dark with cloudy eyes over a week before the shed actually happens, and my tarantulas look dull and won't eat for a while too, so I'm hoping this is a similar situation.

Here is a photo of her taken about 2 weeks ago:

See how bright green she is.

Now I just took another for comparison, and see how much darker she is. You can even see the pattern in her abdomen. I didn't get a very clear pic because I didn't want to disturb her, but does this look like a mantis preparing to shed?:

Thanks all. Sorry if it seems like I am worrying maybe too much, I'm not entirely sure what is normal or not with this.

Well, the signs usually are that they stop eating, some can change colors. Usually, however, if their abdomen is plump in my experience it stays that way until they're done molting. I just had one molt into adulthood that didn't eat for 10 days and her abdomen is still plump. You may try some other prey, like maybe a moth that you catch outside, and see if it will eat that. Good luck! And when you get a second, if you could tell us a little about yourself in the "Introductions" section, that would be great!

 

[LauraMG]

The molting process itself takes a very short amount of time. They wiggle out from the head of their former exoskeleton and it takes like 20-30 minutes usually. The bigger they get though, the harder it seems to be on them. Smaller nymphs don't seem to be as affected by a molt as a subadult molting into and adult. My Carolinas were bad about the color change as they were about to molt, as well as the orchids, so I would say to wait it out. Seems like all the signs are there.

 

[Birdmad Girl]

That's great, thanks Laura, it's really helpful to hear from other mantis keepers.

Great also to know what to expect next. I was wondering where she'd shed from and expected the top of the body section to lift off like a tarantula and for her to climb out, then thought that her head didn't look like it would fit through the neck to do this, lol. I'll keep checking on her and hopefully she'd come out soon.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

The molting process itself takes a very short amount of time. They wiggle out from the head of their former exoskeleton and it takes like 20-30 minutes usually. The bigger they get though, the harder it seems to be on them. Smaller nymphs don't seem to be as affected by a molt as a subadult molting into and adult. My Carolinas were bad about the color change as they were about to molt, as well as the orchids, so I would say to wait it out. Seems like all the signs are there.

 

[Birdmad Girl]

Here are a couple more photos. I just got her out to check on her and she is really full of energy, and was running up my arm really fast, so she's certainly not lethargic in any way and seems very bright. These pics show more clearly the colour she has changed to, which has only happened in the last couple of days. I'm most concerned about her abdomen going from large to almost flat very quickly. I've tried offering her some water on a spoon as she doesn't want her food, but she's more interested in climbing on the spoon!

She's gone very mottled:

Really hoping this is all because of a shed. Not sure what else to do except wait.

 

[lancaster1313]

The wing buds tend to start looking thick before a shed. If the mantis changed color and shape, perhaps it already molted. It will appear suddenly larger after a molt.

 

[Birdmad Girl]

She does seem a little bit larger, but I'd have expected to have found a shed skin in her home and I can't see anything. I've just given her some new branches and had a good look around in there, but no shed skin. I think I am just imagining that she's a bit larger because I'm looking too hard for things.

She's sitting here washing her feet now. Going to try again with some food, just in case.

 

[LauraMG]

Crickets have been known to eat the remaining exoskeleton. It's a possible explanation for not finding it. She's only got one molt left looking at those wing buds!

 

[Birdmad Girl]

I'd taken out all the crickets though because I thought she was going to shed. Can they eat it themselves?

The strangest thing now is that I put in some more crickets about half an hour ago and sat there watching - and she's eating one right now!!!! So very strange!! So either she's shed and the skin somehow disappeared, which would explain why I only noticed the colour change and flat abdomen, or she hasn't shed at all, she just changed colour?! Can they change colour just like that without shedding a skin?

This is so strange, but I am completely relieved that she's eating again. I will feel better when that abdomen fattens up. B)

Any reason why they change colour? Would she be blending in with her environment? I'm just fascinated by these little things and want to know why they do all the things they do.

Does anyone specifically have one of these species too? I was recommended to start with one of these because they are quite hardy compared to some species, so a good starter species apparently?

 

[Ntsees]

Based on your description of things, it looks like your mantid did molt. You seem to have ground material in your container that may distract you from finding the shedded skin. Do you know what the shedded skin looks like? If the crickets didn't eat it, it should be a whitish dry long thing (not as long as the mantid).

 

[Birdmad Girl]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I have not seen a skin shed before from a mantis. I do have a bit of moss on one side of the container, I am wondering if it could have disintegrated into that?

Phew, it's a relief to know that she is okay, and I think you are right, she must have already shed. B)