Praying Mantis dead!?

[Sarkhan42]

Looks like I got here a little late, so I won't restate what's already been said but there's plenty of great advice given already.

Best of luck with the little one, I've had mantids recover from all kinds of injuries, it's all about making sure they keep hydrated and fed, and have a good place to molt. As long as you can insure she can hang properly, everything should correct itself with the molt. I would definitely not leave any prey with her unsupervised, and pay close attention to her positioning as time goes on, so you can correct any problems as they come.

 

[Sarkhan42]

I would also be careful with the honey. It's a fantastic treat, but not a great major staple. Moderation matters for mantids too

 

[Major 78]

-_-

Damn, every thread I see on arachnoboards concerning mantids seems to have a whole lotta misunderstanding. First off, don't say "Giant Golden" say "Hierodula Java". Next, that enclosure is the tiniest little thing! You need a 32 oz deli cup with a whole lot of ventilation on the top. (Checkout any mantis seller they have some with custom ventilation) It also needs a stick to molt off of. And to whoever said fruit flies are not a sufficient food source? You kidding? The mantis diet REVOLVES around fruit flies. They get all their protein and majority of their water from them. And honey is a good way to flush any bug out of a mantids system, so use that. Just don't get your mantids legs stuck on it, it's pretty sticky. Ever hear about the guy who got his hand stuck in a pot of honey? Well, let's just say it's permanent... Lol.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

That 16 ounce deli cup is fine for a mantis of that size, and the lid looks like the usual fabric lids that are used to raise mantids. I agree on the fruit flies though; I have raised many healthy mantids on nothing but Drosophila hydei fruit flies until they were large enough to eat roaches and other feeders.

 

[mantisfan101]

Oof, don’t know what to say but if he’s eating he’s probably going to make it. I would move to a 32 oz deli container or larger and add a layer of substrate, I found moist paper towels to work fine. Popsical sticks work but looks like he fell during the molt. You could try feeding him or handfeeding him, he could be able to make it but for the next molt I can’t tell if he’ll survive that but you’ve got a fighter

 

[Dmitry Maksimovich]

I know that this is incredibly late, but just a few tips for the future.
1. Fruit flies are perfectly fine for mantids of any species or instar. However, stay away from crickets. I have not once fed a cricket to my mantis for many reasons. They easily carry parasites and diseases, they don't climb, and they can even chew off your mantids leg. Try using small locusts instead.
2. I'd personally use a taller enclosure for my mantis. Try your best to provide atleast one stick that is perfectly horizontal, and one vertical one near it. That's the best set up for them molting because they'll hang off of one and climb onto the vertical one once they slide out of their molt, this prevents falls.
3. It might just be the photos, but those tissues are WAY too wet. I think that your mantis had a mismolt because it was too humid. They need perfect conditions to molt, and if I remember correctly heirodulas dont need high humidity. I had the same issue when I just started keeping them and my first to mantids ended up having crooked wings because I sprayed too much. Buy a hygrometer. They're fairly cheap but they help. If you want a good quality one, I recommend komodo.
And lastly, 4. This is just me personally, but I would never put my mantis in the freezer unless it was in absolute agony. Even after a mismolt, you can hand feed it and help it molt. It can most definitely be saved.
I hope this helps and I hope that your mantis is okay

 

[Plantbuglady]

Hi! I have a mantis in a similar situation, her front two legs do not work but she’s eating crickets that I hand feed her. She got stuck in her molt and fell. (Maybe he?) how can I help her molt? I don’t think she can get upside down on her own she has wing buds so I think it may be one of her last molts...

 

[mantisfan101]

Hi! I have a mantis in a similar situation, her front two legs do not work but she’s eating crickets that I hand feed her. She got stuck in her molt and fell. (Maybe he?) how can I help her molt? I don’t think she can get upside down on her own she has wing buds so I think it may be one of her last molts...

Pictures would help. Provide ample room and surfaces for her to molt and maybe try raising humidity and ventilation so that the outer exoskeleton might be a bit softer as she tries to molt.