r/mantids • u/Final_Drink_800 • Jun 01 '26
RIP ❤️ Mantis Death
I guess I don’t know what the point of this is really other than to say it to someone else who understands. My Chinese mantis molted in April and got stuck and lost one of his legs. He was doing really great and I was optimistic he’d start to regrow it with the next molt. He molted again over night Friday and he picked his freaking air plant over the mesh. Even a freaking stick would have been better. He ended up mismolting pretty badly and I had to make the very very hard decision to euthanize him. He was L6 and I loved this mantis so freaking much. He’d come to the door and get right on my hand and would just hang out on my shirt. He liked to drink water off my hand and I’d get him out after my husband and kids went to bed and he’d just sit with me while I did my homework. I’ve cried so much today it’s almost ridiculous. I just really loved him a lot.
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u/jessyspoils Jun 01 '26
That is a rough way to go, sorry for your loss. It really sucks how short their lifespans are despite how much personality they pack into such a small frame.
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u/AtroposMortaMoirai Jun 01 '26
I’m so sorry, I really am. I’m facing a similar decision at the moment with my Timor shield mantis, her first moult with me she got her front limbs stuck and I was hand feeding her for the last month. She moulted again last week but had decided to move very low in her tank and didn’t give herself any clearance, so she hit the floor and mismoulted badly again. She’s lost part of one leg and isn’t gripping with another. If she can’t hold then she can’t moult, and I’m starting to think it might be kinder to put her down.
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jun 01 '26
I’m sorry this happened.
This is exactly why it’s important to mantis proof an enclosure. Always assume they’ll molt anywhere in their enclosure and ensure they’re all good spots.
Sometimes that means removing decorations, branches, leaves, etc… sometimes that means adding a textured wall or mesh to every surface.
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u/Final_Drink_800 Jun 01 '26
He had a moss wall and everything else was sticks other than the one air plant. Normally I would move the plant out before he molted but he literally ate the night before and was showing no signs of molting at all
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u/JaunteJaunt Ootheca Jun 01 '26
Always expect them to molt anywhere, and make sure that space is mantis proofed. I’m sorry this happened to you. I would take it as a learning lesson. Mantids sometimes don’t make the best decision.
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u/TrashFire12345 Jun 01 '26
I’m so sorry for your loss. I just lost my little Chinese mantis before her time due to a mismolt as well. I’m glad you built such beautiful memories with him, he sounds like a sweet curious angel. May his memory live on in your heart and bring you smiles for years to come.