Thirsty

[DefyTheNorms]

I have noticed that my Shield mantis (due for molt any day) has been very thirst the past couple of days. I can give her water several times a day and she will drink and drink. Usually she'd take a drink occasionally but she seems to be very thirsty. She's very quiet as well and kind of resting flat. She was not interested in food yesterday and have not tried today. could it be atributed to her upcoming molt? I believe she is currently presub and due for her subadult molt.

 

[Bathory]

Do you have pics? On rainforest species you can sometimes see when a molt is coming because their abdominal segments are a bit "flared". When my girls were presub or sub and due for a molt they both tended to rest flat like you said and also very sluggish. When they molt they "pump" liquid between their old exoskeleton and their new one so it's important for them to drink to make sure they molt correctly. Keep an eye on her for a while and keep us updated!

 

[DefyTheNorms]

Do you have pics? On rainforest species you can sometimes see when a molt is coming because their abdominal segments are a bit "flared". When my girls were presub or sub and due for a molt they both tended to rest flat like you said and also very sluggish. When they molt they "pump" liquid between their old exoskeleton and their new one so it's important for them to drink to make sure they molt correctly. Keep an eye on her for a while and keep us updated!

Yes, she's sluggish, that's the word I was looking for. Yesterday she seemed clumsy when she was out on my hand. She had her last molt on Dec. 23rd, so I'm assume she's due any day. This is the only photo I can get, as I don't want to disturb her.  Unfortunately I'm unable to see her underside, but I'll keep checking on her.

 

[Bathory]

You sure she isn't subadult? I'll try to find a good pic of Ripley at sub and you can check it out. Both Ripley and Elizabeth Bathory were SUPER sluggish the days before their molts, dragging their abdomens when walking and all that jazz

 

[Bathory]

@DefyTheNorms here's Ripley about a day before her final molt!

 

[DefyTheNorms]

Wow, certainly looks like it! but my girl is not as big as Ripley looks in that photo. I thought she was subadult but was suggested that she was presub.  I attached a photo that I took yesterday to show her size in comparison to my hand.

I also just noticed that she keeps moving her abdomen slowly up and down.

 

[Bathory]

Yeah she does look a bit smaller, although I never fully got an ID on Ripley so I'm not sure if she was basalis or valida. That abdomen movement is completely normal though so don't worry  They do get wing buds at presub so she may have two molts left!

 

[DefyTheNorms]

Yeah she does look a bit smaller, although I never fully got an ID on Ripley so I'm not sure if she was basalis or valida. That abdomen movement is completely normal though so don't worry  They do get wing buds at presub so she may have two molts left!

Thank you for your input!

 

[DefyTheNorms]

She's molting now. And definitely at subadult --- teeny tiny wings

 

[Bathory]

@DefyTheNorms that's great to hear! 

 

[DefyTheNorms]

@DefyTheNorms that's great to hear! 

Thanks. She molted ok, but i'm happy I stayed up with her. She started molting in the worse possible place - facing and almost directly touching the glass side of her terrarium. When she was almost out she tried to climb up to hang from the top, but the couldn't grip the glass, and in the struggle to get up her exoskeleton legs came off the top screen so her whole body weight was on that one exoskeleton leg and she was dangling by her butt! I knew she was going to fall, so I SLOWLY opened the door and held a piece of screen in front of her to grip on, and thankfully she did! - but then she stayed there and my arm was aching from holding the screen in place. Then after the longest 15 minutes my arm has ever felt, she FINALLY moved up to the top. If I hadn't stayed up until she finished her molt the outcome would likely have been much different. It was stressful to say the least lol

 

[CosbyArt]

@DefyTheNorms Glad to hear you were able to save her. 

Sounds like a heat pack would have been ideal on your arm muscles after that. Hopefully she learned a lesson and won't do it again too.

 

[cwebster]

Very glad to hear she is ok.

 

[DefyTheNorms]

Thank you