"Molting Mantids!"

Emily-Fisher · 09-20-03, 06:29 AM

I currently have an egyptian mantis. I'm not sure of the sex but I think that she's a female. Anyway, I had her for a week now and she has molted TWICE already in the past 5 days! Is it normal for mantids to molt or shed this often?!
Thanks!

John White · 09-20-03, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emily-Fisher
I currently have an egyptian mantis. I'm not sure of the sex but I think that she's a female. Anyway, I had her for a week now and she has molted TWICE already in the past 5 days! Is it normal for mantids to molt or shed this often?!
Thanks!

I have no experience with the Egyptian mantis. However, under ideal conditions it is not uncommon for a subadult praying mantis (aka European mantid) to molt twice a week.

Wuntu Menny · 09-23-03, 10:34 PM

When your temps and humidity are right and you provide enough food, most mantids operate on a weekly cycle. I've never seen an Egyptian before, got any links to pix?

WM

Emily-Fisher · 09-24-03, 05:34 AM

<img src="http://www.mantisuk.com/pics/egyptian1_190.jpg">

That's an egyptian mantis. They range from a straw-like colour to a brilliant green. Mine is green

nouserpif · 09-25-03, 10:22 AM

Very nice mantid! I am searching for some egyptian mantids...
Anyways, its not "normal" for a mantis to shed that much, but it is a very good thing! I kept a small colony of Chinese mantis (tenodera aridrifolia, I think... or aridifolia... something like that) and I'd usually get one molt every 6-7 days, but in times of plenty (lol) I'd get a few that molted a couple times a week... Mantids are great bugs, hope ya enjoy it... You should try to get a male, and breed them later on...

Dan conner