Molting

[Robofish]

How long is the period for a mantis between molts if it is a juvenile about an inch long?
Thanx--- Mike

 

[MDKyleZ]

Smaller mantis usually molt fairly often however I have seen them go as long as 6 months without a molt.

Kyle

 

[Gonodactylus]

It depends of species, sex, diet, temperature and reproduction. Assuming that you have a Neogonodactylus wennerae from Florida live rock, I can give you the following reall rough estimates from our field data. Sorry, but the measurements are in millimeters. Parentheses give age after settling out from the plankton.


8 mm - 2 weeks (newly settled)

15 mm - 1 month (3 months)

20 mm - 1 months (9 months)

25 mm - 2 months (1 year)

30 mm - 2 months (1.5 years)

40 mm - 3 months (3 years )

50 mm - 3 months (4-5 years)

If you really pour the food to an animal, it may speed up. Females who reproduce don't molt that month. Large females will often have two or three clutches of eggs before taking a month off to molt.

Roy

 

[Dan87]

Well, I think my mantis is about to molt. He won't come out. I thought he had died like my other one, but when I lifted up his rock, he shot out and started attacking everything. I made a new setup and now He's in visible sight(if you look from the back) and just sits there. How long should it take for them to molt? he hasn't eaten in about 4-5 days.( He ate 9 shirmp,1 blueleg and a snail though)

 

[Gonodactylus]

Neogonodactylus usually start digging and stop eating a few days before a molt. A week is not unusual. Again, this depends on size. Small animals may not eat for only a day or two.

Roy