Timing the last molt

[mantisboy]

Once again I am venturing into uncharted mantid waters with this little Religiosa sub-adult female. Her appetite has dropped off dramatically and I can see the formation of bud wings.

I have seen a Youtube video of a Chinese mantid going through her final molt and her bud wings seemed pretty pronounced, certainly more than my sub-adult.

My esteemed colleague Seattle 79 mentioned that sub-adults will stop eating for a couple of days before their final molt. This morning I left 2 flies with her all day and they went untouched.

If I post a pic of her could anybody estimate if she is close or not close to her final molt?

 

[PhilinYuma]

Most mantids stop eating before any molt, not just the last one.

She will molt when she is ready, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man" (Mat. 24:36) .[How am i doing, Rebecca?

]

The more pronounced size of the wing buds in the mantis undergoing her final moult is probably because she is pharate, a fancy word my respected friend on this forum would say, but quicker than using a description each time. The new body with its larger wing buds is "cloaked' by the old skin.

The newer form of the insect grows underneath the old skin (even more obvious when a chrysalis becomes a moth). Chitin degrading enzymes (chitinases) break down the connection between the old skin and the new. When she is ready (see above) she will take in moisture and air through her mouth until she increases her blood (hemolymph) volume/pressure. This causes her body to expand and rupture the old skin down the back. If the complicated procedure doesn't go just right, you get a mis-molt. If it does go right, (and I have lit a candle to the Great Mantis Goddess [bbHN]) in her name), the newly eclosed, soft bodied, teneral mantis, swallows more air to increase its body from sub to adult size and pumps hemolymph into her wings. And she's ready to rock and roll!

Now, wasn't that fun?

 

[Rick]

The wing buds will be very swollen.

 

[lancaster1313]

The wing buds on mine looked more like wing pads. They were very thick. :lol:

 

[Seattle79]

I would remove all flies and other feeders from her cage. A fly could knock your female off the top of her cage while she is molting. This would be disastrous for her.

Good luck,

-Kevin

 

[mantisboy]

I would remove all flies and other feeders from her cage. A fly could knock your female off the top of her cage while she is molting. This would be disastrous for her.

Good luck,

-Kevin

I couldn't agree more about "when she is ready part". The problem is I have never had a sub-adult so I have absolutely nothing to reference if she is even close. Are the bud wings swollen enough??? You got me, because I have no idea. I am hoping that those more experienced in last molts will be able to take one look and say, "Nope, she still has a ways to go" or "Yep, she's getting close, may want a keep a fly in her housing if you happen to be watching her and remove it when you aren't.

I don't want to stop feeding her if she isn't ready, on the other hand I don't want to keep feeders in with her if she is ready to molt. So any suggestions would be most appreciated. So.....if I post a pic can anybody chime in?

 

[Seattle79]

If your Mantis is just hanging in one spot and not moving much, then she may be ready to molt. My limbatas tend to stay stationary for several hours to almost one day before molting. They don't eat and just hang there - this would be a good sign of getting ready to molt. Most of my Mantids molt in the early morning hours like around 4-6am. It is like clockwork with these limbata species that I have acquired.

-Kevin