Tailless whips get fat before molting?

[Ghoul]

So I've had my little Damon diadema Benji for quite a while now and he molted twice since I got him, and every time shortly before the molt he'd get fat. I took a look at him today and my god he's a real fat ass now hahah.
A little background, he shares his enclosure with his food - isopods (Porcellio scaber) - so he eats as much as he wants and whenever he wants. I saw him having multiple snacks the last few days, and now he's the fattest he's ever been. I'd be surprised if he isn't going to molt soon :d My guess is he eats as much as possible first, then nothing shortly before molt, and then he molts.

I am also still not entirely sure if Benji is actually a he or a she, he's still a little small to tell but I might know more after his next molt. I'm pretty excited about it to be honest, he's grown quite a bit since I got him and last time he "grew a thumb" and it looks like he got little hands. I love tailless whips.

 

[chanda]

I've never noticed any of mine to get noticeably fatter before a molt, but they also don't have unfettered access to food. The only times I've seen them looking a little thick around the middle are when they're gravid - and even then it isn't all that noticeable. (Could be all in my head, too - if I know they've mated and I'm expecting them to lay eggs, I might just think they look fatter.)

 

[schmiggle]

My whip spider is an H. batesii, not D. diadema, but she always gets significantly fatter before molting. However, she sometimes gets fat and doesn't eat for several weeks, and then proceeds to not molt, instead eventually getting thinner and eating again. There was one time when she got really fat, didn't eat for several weeks, ate one cricket, and molted a couple days later.

 

[Ghoul]

My whip spider is an H. batesii, not D. diadema, but she always gets significantly fatter before molting. However, she sometimes gets fat and doesn't eat for several weeks, and then proceeds to not molt, instead eventually getting thinner and eating again. There was one time when she got really fat, didn't eat for several weeks, ate one cricket, and molted a couple days later.

Maybe it felt like molting but went "Meh, maybe not". Sometimes I wish we could read their minds. :d

 

[Aquarimax]

My D. diadema seem to get fatter during premolt...I got them when they were very small, and 2 of them have reached maturity...one still has another molt before she reaches that point.