weird mantis?

[conway]

hi all i got a Hierodula parviceps and it has *shed* into its last..its developed wings and is about 9.5cm long..but i checked in the tank for the old skin..but it wasnt there!..the only explanation so far is that it ate it..but mantis are cannibals..why would it eat its shed skin? =D :? its really confusing and i wanted the skin as it turnt to adult...oh well..lets just hope i can tell wether its male or female..lol

 

[Navaros]

That's a nice mantis, don't think we have them in the US. Sexing it shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Steven]

were there crickets left in the tank ???,...
cause i had cases where crickets ate the old skin,...

crickets shouldn't be in the tank when the mantis is gonna molt but sometimes the mantis surprises me with molting

 

[Wade]

There's not much to mantid exuvia, it might look like a dried bit of grass or something and be overlooked. They're nothing like tarantula's molted exoskeleton which is much more obvious.

Wade

 

[conway]

ok thanx ill look for some *grass* lol but yes there were crickets in the tank..i didnt knowe it was coming up for a shed..i bought it about a month ago..a little less so i didnt know when it was gonna shed..

 

[Wade]

Mantids live fast. Most species go from less than half an inch to adulthood in a matter of months. This means frequent molts. One of the more difficult aspects of keeping them is keeping anything from interfearing with molts. Live feeders can kill a molting mantid, but mantids also need alot to eat. Makes it kinda tricky!

Wade

 

[conway]

ok i found a *skin* lol i pulled out the fake plant and on the botton was the thingys.. lol ..ahh the boxer arms..wotever and about 1 whole leg..and 2 or 3 half ones..thats about it..the rest are probably buied or have been eaten..so i just threw it away..oh well..my mum said no more tarantulas but i can get a few more mantids