!!!Urgent!!!

[hymenopus]

Hello, I have a Giant asian adult female of unknown age and she is very plump, I misted her and she has a bubble in her wings! What is wrong? Do you need pics?

 

[hymenopus]

Here she is:



Her abdomen is very thick but hasn't laid yet, been 3 days, she has water in her wings is this a problem?

 

[hymenopus]

Does she look old?

 

[CosbyArt]

@hymenopus I hope you misted her habitat, as few mantids enjoy getting misted directly - most seem to get offended by it. Yes photos are required for help usually as very few things can be identified by text alone.

She has a bubble in her wings? Are you referring to water itself, her bent wings near the tip of her abdomen, or what exactly as I do not see any bubble in the photo. The bend in her wings and what appears to be her two hind walking leg tarsi/feet, were malformed in her final molt, most likely as she did not have enough height space in her habitat though.

If her abdomen size has increased dramatically recently she is likely forming a ooth. Most females lay a ooth once a week when they are sexual mature, but times can vary, especially for the first ooth. If she has visible water on her it should evaporate on it's own. Ideally a mantid habitat wall gets misted for their humidity needs, with the light water mist evaporating within about 30 minutes. Mantids get their water needs from the fluids of it's prey, and don't drink water directly often unless humidity is a issue.

Mantid old age can not be determined from a photo other than what instar they are based from size or visual development - as they do not have skin developing wrinkles, age spots, white hair, etc. Being that she is an adult forming her first ooth however she is likely 7-8 months of age.

 

[hymenopus]

Yes, I am misting the habitat and I do not know if this is her first ooth, I bought her as an adult. The water is inside her wings!

 

[CosbyArt]

Yes, I am misting the habitat and I do not know if this is her first ooth, I bought her as an adult. The water is inside her wings!

In which cases for her age your best option is to ask the seller you got her from, as anything else would be a pure guess including how many ooths she has left to lay (or if she was mated or is infertile).

If you had her for more than a week and she has not laid a ooth than you can assume she is 7-8 months old. But if you have kept her for less time, you can only be sure she is at least that old and likely older.

The water in her wings should still evaporate, and mantids do clean themselves too. There is no real way to dry out the water between the wings other than holding her, carefully extending the wings, and then drying the wings by allowing a paper towel to wick up the water (do not wipe on the wings); however, that will take at least three hands to do carefully.

 

[hymenopus]

Is 7-8 months old?

 

[hymenopus]

She has brown on her raptorials 

 

[hymenopus]

Is this a problem?

 

[hymenopus]

She hasn't eaten in 2 days

 

[CosbyArt]

@hymenopus Well age wise it means she will likely live another 4 months as explained, but can survive a max of about 8 more months total. The coloration on her raptor forearms is just that color, and nothing to worry about.

In regards to eating they eat when they want, and it is common for a mantid to go without food for a few days. You can offer her smaller prey feeders, or another feeder species, to entice her to eat.

 

[hymenopus]

She isn't climbing!

 

[hymenopus]

She also needs hand feeding

 

[hymenopus]

She needs the thumb tack method and falls when tries to climb, not climbing anymore!

 

[Kermit]

Looks and sounds like a mismolt

 

[hymenopus]

Could she also be very old she is very weak!

 

[hymenopus]

She is slowly fading  away 

 

[hymenopus]

I wish mantids didn't fade so slow it's the worst while it's dying.

 

[hymenopus]

I contacted the seller and she said that it wasn't old and that it was shipping.