Strange Deroplatys lobata molt

[O'Neal20]

So I wake up and go into my kitchen and get some breakfast. I finish eating and then I go check one my mantids. I look and see one of my Deroplatys laying on its back. I pick it up and put it on my hand. It was still alive but very weak. I try to hand feed it but it won't eat. It hasn't are in 4 days. So I'm just sitting there texting my cousin (citruzz_barz) and asking what to do. And while I was texting him I see it doing strange things and after awhile I see its head out of it old skin. Then I think "OMG it's molting on my hand". So I hang it upside down by its leg and just wait. Luckly it leg was out and I didn't cripple it. And I wait and wait and wait till finally it was hanging from its tail. I felt soo relieved knowing that It didn't die. And it tail gets out and it's good as new, but I feel really bad that it hasn't at yet say the day after it eats and I feel happy the it's still living

 

[happy1892]

That's great. What instar was it? Was it young?

 

[MantidBro]

talk about lucky! good to know he survived!

 

[O'Neal20]

He is l4 now and yah I was really lucky

 

[O'Neal20]

It was going to l4

 

[Aryia]

Good that you caught it in time! Sometimes mantises fall while preparing to molt and are too lethargic to make their way back up resulting in death.

Your little guy owes his life to you ^^