Tragedy

[cdsnuts]

I'm sorry that happened to her. Those are the exact cages I use and I rarely have mismolt problems. However, my favorite mantid had a bad molt last year and ended up looking like that. She was in a ten-gallon aquarium when it happened. She, sadly, did not survive. I hope yours does better. You can try holding insects up to her mouth with tweezers to see if she can eat.

Where do you get the cages at? You notice I have them in all different sizes but would like them to be all the same....I can't find them locally anymore....

 

[Danny.]

Livemonarch.com sells good ones. Time to freeze your girl. She looks like a goner.

 

[cdsnuts]

Thanks.

So the freezer is the way, huh?

I'm leaning more towards placing her in with a hungry male. Live by the jaw, die by the jaw. She's eaten her fair share of siblings.

I have a feeling I'm going to get flamed for this post.....

 

[cdsnuts]

Can she grip with the back legs at all? I am hand feeding a deadleaf atm. I will post a pic.The forelegs are all bent up. Sometimes she can hold the food in her mandibles. I am counting the days, and looking at her color to see when the molt is near. Then I will make sure she is in a good spot with the hind legs securely attatched to the surface. Make sure she drinks, and offer honey everyday. I always mush the fly or cut the head off the butterworm before I offer it to her. so far so good.....Good luck with your girl, and I will keep trying with mine. Here is the pic....

How can you tell they are going to molt?

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Where do you get the cages at? You notice I have them in all different sizes but would like them to be all the same....I can't find them locally anymore....

My mom usually gets them for me. I think she gets them off Amazon, or Insect Lore. I've also seen them at Costco around Christmastime.

Usually when they get stuck that much in the exoskeleton there isn't much you can do. Sorry about you loss

 

[MandellaMandy123]

How can you tell they are going to molt?

Well, there are a lot of different ways to tell. Depends on your species. They may stop eating, and their abdomen will probably look swollen. My nymphs tend to molt every couple of weeks, but it varies by instar.

 

[cdsnuts]

So I'm looking for pictures and videos of molting mantids and it seems that their head doesn't molt? Am I correct or am I just not seeing it?

 

[Danny.]

Thanks.

So the freezer is the way, huh?

I'm leaning more towards placing her in with a hungry male. Live by the jaw, die by the jaw. She's eaten her fair share of siblings.

I have a feeling I'm going to get flamed for this post.....

The freezer is one way or you can feed her to your mantis. I feed mine to the turtles, gone in one bite.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

So I'm looking for pictures and videos of molting mantids and it seems that their head doesn't molt? Am I correct or am I just not seeing it?

No, the head molts. Even the antennae molt. You can see them on the exoskeleton afterward. Otherwise the head would never be able to grow. By the time your mantis was an adult, it would look like a pinhead! :stuart:

 

[agent A]

I don't think u should freeze her yet

let things play out for a few days, but I would at least tilt the cage so she is hangin upside down

 

[Sticky]

Livemonarch.com sells good ones. Time to freeze your girl. She looks like a goner.

Mantidplace sells excellant cages. Dont freeze her! She will be easy to care for.

 

[cdsnuts]

She made it thru the night. She looks a little more mobile but she's still bent. I did put her in with the next biggest male I have, but she's bigger then him, so he stays away.

I'm not going to finish her off. I'm just going to let things play out.

 

[cdsnuts]

No, the head molts. Even the antennae molt. You can see them on the exoskeleton afterward. Otherwise the head would never be able to grow. By the time your mantis was an adult, it would look like a pinhead! :stuart:

I keep watching videos but cant see how it's done. I want to know exactly where the skin splits first and the whole process from there....

 

[lancaster1313]

The skin should split on the dorsal pronotum. Then everything usually works itself out from there.

 

[cdsnuts]

So I just successfully fed her a meal worm. I cut it in half and gave it to her guts first. She got her mandibles in that mess and didn't let go until it was gone. I'll feed her another one tomorrow if she takes it. We'll see if I can get her to the next molt.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Good job! I hope she makes it. Keep us posted.

 

[sally]

Great, don't forget the water.

 

[Nicolas]

Cool, she is making progress! love it when they are surviving

 

[Jinx]

Aw, how sad! I hope she makes it.

 

[nirotorin]

That's sad. Poor old girl.