How long does it take a mantis to molt?

[polymorphus]

I have a g.smitti that has become rather shy over the last week and I am asuuming its due to it going through the molting process. For instance I put one of its favorite live meals in the tank (Margarita snails) and it hasn't touched it. Is my mantis "sick" or is it just displaying its normal behavior during molting.

 

[Agu]

First time my mantis (n. wennerae) molted it disappeared into it's rock for almost two weeks. If yours is molting I'm surprised it's out and about.

fwiw,

Agu

 

[polymorphus]

Actually it is not out and about I hadn't seen it in almost a week and had to slightly move its burrow to see if he was still alive. He is doing fine from what I can tell. Any feeding suggestions as his usually diet of baby clams and snails probably wont help much.

- g

 

[slylie]

Well, how long exactly has he been behaving this way? prior to a molt, your mantis begins to leech calcium from its exoskeleton to use in its new one, which makes its exoskeleton softer, making the mantis avoid leaving its burrow more than usual, and avoid using its smashers to break the snail's shell that u are feeding it... but this should not take a week... i would hope it molts in the next few days, if not it may be something else.

p.s, after it has molted, it only takes a few days for the new exoskeleton to form... perhaps longer i suppose if there is a lack of calcium.. but that im not sure.

 

[slylie]

oops.. posted that before i saw you had posted again..

i would try feeding it freeze dried krill. The smell makes them go crazy, they are easier to eat, and they are more nutritious.



good luck

 

[Gonodactylus]

The duration of the molting process depends on the species and the size of the individual. For Gonodactylus smithii, a 20 mm animal will stop eating a day or two before the molt and resume eating two or three days after. For a large 80 mm animal, it will stop eating several days before molting and not take prey for up to two weeks after the molt. It is really difficult to generalize. If you have a large G. smithii, two weeks is probably about how long its down time will be.

Roy