Fixing fallen mantis

[NocturnalSkies]

My grass mantis mismolted badly today. I suspect it fell as I found it on its back stuck in its molt and crumpled up. I spent like 20 minutes using drops of water and small tools to soften and pick pieces of the molt off and then try to reshape the mantises legs and arms. I managed to fix its legs to the point where I had it hanging upside down on my hand and then went to work untangling pieces of the molt from its antennae and arms. I got all the molt off except for this piece on the antennae and the arms were too twisted to fix. Based on these pics, what do y’all think are it’s chances of a correct molt next time if I can force feed it? I’m so distraught rn especially after my Asian giant died of black mouth today....

 

[egyptiancrow]

if it can eat and hang on with its four last legs, it should be able to molt again. but the stress of mismolt can sometimes kill. what do you have it set up in/how do you provide humidity? there are ways you might be able to increase its chances.

and im sorry for your recent loss

 

[NocturnalSkies]

if it can eat and hang on with its four last legs, it should be able to molt again. but the stress of mismolt can sometimes kill. what do you have it set up in/how do you provide humidity? there are ways you might be able to increase its chances.

and im sorry for your recent loss

Square plastic container with some substrate, branches to climb up on and a little mesh stuck to the lid so it can climb up if it wants to(how I keep most of my mantises until they grow larger). The lid has a couple small holes for ventilation and I mist the container when it’s seeming too dry.
The thing with this particular mantis though is it essentially never climbs. It’s usually on the ground and hunts on the ground and I only ever occasionally see it climbing. So I wonder if it tried to molt on the ground. It’s gone through 2 successful molts before though so I didn’t figure there was any cause for concern.
Not sure what species, was sent to me as a gift with the label “unknown Arizona grass mantis species”
Thanks for the condolences. I take any loss hard and i really liked that particular giant mantis, it was almost an adult too :/

 

[egyptiancrow]

you may want to use some sort of mesh as ALL their climbing wall and get rid of all the sticks as maybe they are having some sort of difficulty in particular.

if you could show me some more photos of before it molted perhaps i can ID it as well

i also might add some damp sphagnum moss in the bottom of the enclosure and perhaps give it more water and more moisture content food like baby hornworms for the next molt.

if its had trouble climbing you might be right in it tried to do it on the floor but my bet is more that it fell while it was in molt and it couldnt continue properly

https://mantismonarch.wordpress.com/molt/ photo credit

 

[NocturnalSkies]

View attachment 409087 you may want to use some sort of mesh as ALL their climbing wall and get rid of all the sticks as maybe they are having some sort of difficulty in particular.

if you could show me some more photos of before it molted perhaps i can ID it as well

i also might add some damp sphagnum moss in the bottom of the enclosure and perhaps give it more water and more moisture content food like baby hornworms for the next molt.

if its had trouble climbing you might be right in it tried to do it on the floor but my bet is more that it fell while it was in molt and it couldnt continue properly

https://mantismonarch.wordpress.com/molt/ photo credit

Yeah I’m going to do this for all my mantids now. Today it’s still alive but having trouble walking. Here’s some pics of it beforehand, first pic is when I first got it and 2nd pic is after its previous molt

 

[egyptiancrow]

Yeah I’m going to do this for all my mantids now. Today it’s still alive but having trouble walking. Here’s some pics of it beforehand, first pic is when I first got it and 2nd pic is after its previous molt

I hope it goes well. I know some people use sugar water as well to help but if shell eat, then give it food. just make sure theyre drinking and has humidity for the next one, so shes got internal and external humidity helping the molt

im not as well versed in sp over there but maybe Stagmomantis gracilipes

 

[NocturnalSkies]

Sorry to necro an old thread but this guy is still alive! He hadn’t molted again yet but he walks around perfectly and I just hand feed him. He’s even used to it now.

 

[dragonfire1577]

I don't think updating this thread counts as a necro at all! Glad to hear they are still going, in the past fallen mantids never tended to recover for me even with help like this but I think the longer this guy keeps going the better things look.

 

[coolnweird]

Always happy to hear updates! Glad he's doing well