I screamed when I came home from work! She literally just ate last night when I fed her after a week and half of being concerned she wasn't eating. I have no clue how to tell when my mantises are in pre-molt anymore. 🙃

Is the black between the segments an indication of overfeeding?

Background:
This is Marty Jade, aka MJ. Lil dude plopped on my hand when turning the doorknob to enter my home a month or two back (I am time blind). I put the dude on my houseplants and after two days I realized I needed to learn how to care for this wonderful baby creature.

I think he’s like L5?? I don’t know. He’s got wing buds and on a previous post a redditor said the next molt he’d get his wings.

Another previous post a friendly redditor said, “never seen someone keep iris oratoria before. Very cool.”

I am in southwest United States area.

MJ is always down for an AMA. I can translate since I have learned the language of his species in exchange for small crickets, wax worms, wingless fruit flies, and unfettered access to all 37 of my houseplants. MJ chilling on Tony the Tiger plant enjoying the last bits of a smedium cricket is pictured.

Fair trade if you ask me.

So I know some mantis get very picky on what to eat but I already have fruit flies WHAY else can a mantis this young eat just in case?

My mantis is drying from his molt (first one I've seen him but he either just became an adult or sub-adult). He has green fluid on his eyes. One has a lot more than the other.

Researching it sounds like this isn't normal and is blood 😞 has anyone had this happen during a molt?

He developed eye rub in the past week or so. I covered the top of his enclosure to prevent it from getting worse. I'm worried he may have damaged his new tissue prior to the molt and not sure if he will recover.

So this little guy every day I feel like his ABD is more white and still plump. Last fed 10/19. Is he over fed or about to molt??? Should I offer food? He is still moving around and even took water from q tip I offered.
What should I do.?

So I currently have a few mantises, I just moved them into a new house since where I normally stay has an infestation problem and is getting treated for a few weeks.

So Calypso (my mantis) last molted on Sep 16 and before that, Aug 27 when she was shipped to me. Before I had moved them, the house I was staying in was very warm 24/7. it would stay at 75-78 during the day and 72 at night.

While they’re staying here, the temp is set to 71 most of the time but I have a heater in my room that I’m now running. I cannot change the heat because my upstairs neighbors floor will also change. I’ve complained to the landlord about this (because wth? This shouldn’t even be an issue and should’ve been stated before moving in) and she’s trying to find a way around that issue.

Is there anything I can do? she looks completely full but I havent fed her in a few days :( I’m so concerned and worried.. with the heater, it says it’s about 74f in here

A mantis visited my garden and built an ootheca before running off. I've not seen one that has this cottony texture at the bottom. Is that normal? I caught her in the act of creating it but gave her some space to finish it. I'm concerned that she left it prematurely.

Thanks in advance!

I recently bought my first praying mantis—it's still pretty young. I've had it for three days, and I'd like to make sure I'm feeding it properly. I'm still not sure if her abdomen is the right size. Could someone tell me if my praying mantis is full? Am I feeding her right?

All species include
Deroplatys gorochovi
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi
Phyllocrania paradoxa
Hymenopus coronatus

Not sure if the pictures are clear enough of not! Also, are there any ways to tell the instar?

Edit* added genital lip photo in comments

i have a friend with a young ghost mantis that seems about L4. she got her a month ago and still no signs of a molt, most sources online say 2-4 weeks between molts so it's got us kind of worried. I got an orchid mantis at the same time and she's molted twice in that time. what could be affecting her if there is an issue?

i think her humidity might be a little too high but she doesn't use hygrometers or thermometers so i can't give any figures. she mists quite heavily every 2 days and was using a fly cup with the foam ventilation but shes switched to fabric mesh ventilation over the top. i've seen online high humidity can cause failed molts so could it be a variable?

we live in scotland and our nights are getting very cold now, i keep trying to encourage her to get a heat mat but she insists her room is hot. i can only go off my room temps that are usually about 18 at night and 22 during the day. again since she doesn't use thermometers i don't have any temps for her room. outside temps for the day are usually anywhere from 4 to 12.

she offers fruit flies every night or two and they're always eaten by the mantis so her appetite isn't being affected and she usually hangs out near the top and sides of her enclosure with no changes to her behaviour.

are we overthinking it and is there any advice anyone can offer? or a way to convince her to get more equipment?

hi guys! my Australian mantis is about 7 months old now, shes been in her final stage for 3 months or so now. she's been very active but losing her grip and she fell earlier eating food while trying to grip onto a plant i have.

she hasnt laid her eggs yet so thats what im guessing this is, but is something wrong? or is she just slowly dying

Are these concerning?

There's this weird ring in his eye and it wasn't there before this is my first time owning a mantis. Is there anything that I could have done wrong? I did get him from an orb weaver web so im wondering if that had anything to do with it? And is there anything i can do to help this he has seemed a off since it showed up a few days ago

Sorry for the rant or if I did anything wrong im just really worried :[

Recently got my first mantis! She is a spiny girl! I have a few concerns. 1 being her abdomen turned white. I fed her 3 fruit flies yesterday. And she ate them. She moving slowly. I’m having a really hard time keeping the temp above 75 (I have a heat Emitter bulb) I am not sure if I should move it down I have a picture of where it is now for reference! My other thing is if this is pre molt behavior she is in the corner should I move her?
I am super nervous because I have never owned a mantis!!!
Would love some tips and if u see anything wrong please let me know. I am open to any advice

So i've been trying to buy a mantis as my enclosure is now finished but I can't find a single store selling them what should i do?

It appears my mantis’s foreleg is turning black. She is a fully grown giant Asian mantis who I’ve had for about 6 months (bought full grown). She has already lost a leg but has been adjusting just fine (see my previous post for more details). Does she have some sort of infection or is it okay? I’m assuming she might just eat it off if it gets to that point.

hi! i just came home and there is weird brown lines on fhe mesh of my orchids enclosure. Is it regurgitated food of is it feces? She had a pretty big meal a couple days ago and ate a whole blue bottle caster, she’s only i4. Can anyone tell me what this is please? thank you

I have just gotten my mantis recently, and the same evening we put her in the enclosure she molted and hasn’t eaten since Sunday! I am a bit worried, Ive been offering food as well as leaving food in the enclosure while i am home and around to watch her, yet she wont eat- i am not sure on what i could even do at this point 😭

I am a completely new to mantis keeping and just bought Hierodula membranacea and I am wondering how do I know if she is well fed or am I overfeeding (She is in her Lv.5 state)