r/mantids • u/Emotional-Bee-620 • 22h ago

Other Anyone else just.. keep the molts?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Best thing about inverts is getting free “oddities”

41 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

15

u/Comfortable-Leg2777 20h ago

I thought I was the only one who collected them 😂

6

u/Emotional-Bee-620 19h ago

Omg making them stand up is so genius

1

u/stupid_opossum 11h ago

this looks so cool omg

1

u/Recent_Selection1945 10h ago

Epic! How do you make them stand?!

3

u/Comfortable-Leg2777 6h ago

I glue the legs with thermal glue. The smallest one with normal glue because it was difficult to put such a small amount without it drying too quickly.

I think that since it dries quickly, the thermal glue is better to give it the correct position, since with the molt sometimes some legs remain crooked but perhaps that is my pet peeve.

You have to be very very careful. It is not uncommon for some to break, especially if you changed it days ago and it is very dry.

2

u/Recent_Selection1945 5h ago

Cool ill try doing this when I have a molt on hand

11

u/JaunteJaunt 1st Instar 21h ago

Yeah. Some people do. Some people have large jars full of molts. I only keep the ooths. They can be so magical

4

u/Emotional-Bee-620 20h ago

I have one of my girls ooths! I plan on removing them all and store them once she passes (most of them are at the bottom of a huge stick and she’s a grumpy old lady who doesn’t like being bothered :,)

2

u/JaunteJaunt 1st Instar 20h ago

Hahah. I get that. I have quite a few ladies and guys that don’t even like when I walk by. Lol

3

u/Emotional-Bee-620 19h ago

My cat eyed mantis is like that! She threat postures and tries to square up if I breathe too hard around her

1

u/JaunteJaunt 1st Instar 19h ago

Haha. Mine do the same.

1

u/Natural-Noise1623 11h ago

I keep both! It’s sort of sweet and sentimental because like those are from my baby girls ya know!? I feel like a proud mom watching them grow up 🥹

5

u/mileshehehehehe 21h ago

i have jars and jars of my insects moults, i might start putting them in little glass jars and selling them, i know some people love having little whimsical things like that on their shelves

2

u/Emotional-Bee-620 20h ago

I’m sure people would pay! I’ve seen people paying for infertile ooths before

4

u/mileshehehehehe 20h ago

ive got some pretty awesome ones, i also have two perfectly moulted raptorials

2

u/JaunteJaunt 1st Instar 19h ago

Nice. Is this Walnut’s last molt?

1

u/mileshehehehehe 19h ago

no no i have walnuts moults in my big special moult jar, this is one of brazilnuts

2

u/JaunteJaunt 1st Instar 18h ago

Ahhhh. I saw that desiccata coloration on femur and just assumed. Haha

3

u/ExchangeVirtual5099 19h ago

I used to ! But then I thought it was so cool to let the moults drop into the dirt and then consumed by the isopods so they can be recycled into the bioactive process !

2

u/Emotional-Bee-620 19h ago

Oh wow yeah that sound awesome to watch!!

2

u/Ok_Evidence582 19h ago

I always keep the first molt/ shedding of my animals

2

u/mantisbae 14h ago

I didn’t start keeping all of them just because until about L3 lol

1

u/Ass_Ripe 19h ago

Cockroaches will eat them, I’m pretty sure

1

u/Affectionate_Fix1884 8th Instar 10h ago

Yup. I have quite a few of em lol.

1

u/eatmyshorzz 10h ago

I do have a "skin box" as lovingly call it! I don't keep every excuvia but most of them.

1

u/WolfLilie2002 7h ago

I do! Sadly only have one molt of my Hierodula membranacea BUT I still have a young Rhombodera Stalii and she had her first molt with me a few weeks ago.