Do Praying Mantises Shed Their Skin?

If you’ve ever watched a praying mantis long enough, you might have noticed it doing something that looks a little strange and alarming at first glance — wiggling out of its own skin like it’s escaping from a tiny suit of armor. And if you’ve never seen it before, the sight can catch you completely off guard. So do praying mantises really shed their skin? And why do they do it? Read on to find out more.

Yes, Praying Mantises Do Shed Their Skin

Praying mantises do indeed shed their skin, and they do it multiple times throughout their lives. The process is called molting, or ecdysis, and it’s not unique to mantises. Like all arthropods, praying mantises molt to grow. The exoskeleton, while strong and protective, is rigid and inflexible. This stops a mantis from growing any larger than the exoskeleton allows, so in order to grow, they need to break out of the old one and slowly form a larger one.

Think of it like a praying mantis being literally trapped inside its own body. Without molting, there would be no way for it to grow at all. So shedding that old skin isn’t just something they do — it’s something they absolutely have to do to survive.

How Many Times Do Praying Mantises Shed Their Skin?

This depends largely on the species, but the number is higher than most people expect. A praying mantis will molt between 5 and 10 times in its lifetime. Some species on the higher end of that range go through even more, with certain species molting as many as 7, 8, or even 9 times as they grow from nymphs to adults.

It’s also worth knowing that females typically go through more molts than males. According to ScienceInsights, females often require one or two more molts than males to reach their larger adult size. This makes sense given that female praying mantises are generally noticeably bigger than their male counterparts, which you can read more about in our guide on how to tell the sex of a praying mantis.

What Are Instars?

Every time a praying mantis sheds its skin, it moves into a new growth stage. These stages are called instars. Praying mantises undergo incomplete metamorphosis, meaning they don’t experience a pupal stage like butterflies or beetles. Instead, they hatch from eggs as nymphs which resemble miniature wingless adults, and progress through several instars, gradually growing larger and developing adult features with each molt.

According to Study.com, it’s not uncommon for a growing praying mantis to molt 10 to 12 times before reaching full size, with the periods between each molt called instars. Once a mantis sheds its skin, it moves from L1 to L2, then L3, and so on, until it finally reaches adulthood. At that point, the molting stops for good.

What Does The Molting Process Actually Look Like?

The molting process is fascinating to watch, but it also requires a lot from the mantis physically. The process can last for several days and usually begins with decreased activity. As the mantis prepares to shed its skin, it will move more slowly, behave lethargically, and eat very little. It will also spend a lot of time hanging upside down with its front legs held slightly apart. It may vibrate or twitch, and it may appear to be coated in a white, papery layer as the old skin loosens. Finally, the top skin layer splits open and the praying mantis wriggles out of it.

According to ScienceInsights, the old cuticle splits usually along the midline of the back near the head and thorax. The mantis then slowly wriggles out, pulling its head, antennae, and legs free first. Emerging from the old skin can take 20 minutes to over an hour, after which the mantis hangs from the shed skin while the soft new exoskeleton expands before the hardening process begins.

That hardening phase is just as important as the shedding itself. After a mantis molts it is still not fully dry. This hardening and drying process takes about 24 hours in nymphs and one to four days in adults. They need to hang upside down to let gravity pull them down and straighten their legs.

Why Does A Praying Mantis Stop Eating Before Molting?

If you keep a praying mantis as a pet, you may notice it suddenly refusing food for a couple of days before a molt and start worrying something is wrong. Don’t panic — this is completely normal behavior. A praying mantis won’t eat a few days before it sheds its skin. This is normal and after molting it will start eating again.

The reason for this is pretty straightforward. The most telltale sign of an approaching molt is the inflation of the abdomen, especially if the mantis has also been refusing food. Praying mantises absorb a large amount of air in their abdomen before finally molting. Eating right before a molt would only make the whole process harder and more dangerous for them. So if your mantis turns its nose up at food for a few days, just keep an eye out for the molting signs and let nature do its thing. You can learn more about feeding your mantis in our article on what do praying mantises eat.

What Is A Mismolt And Why Is It Dangerous?

A mismolt is essentially when the molting process goes wrong, and it’s one of the most serious things that can happen to a praying mantis — especially one kept in captivity. Mismolts refer to the deformed state of a mantis after a molt. Often mismolts are the result of improper care, such as humidity levels that are too low. Despite this, mismolts can happen through pure fluke.

According to the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, if a cage is too dry, a mantis may have trouble shedding its old skin and will lose a limb in the process of moulting. It is possible for a mantis to regrow the lost limb, but only when they moult again — meaning that if your mantis is already an adult with wings, it won’t be able to regrow the lost limb. This is also something we cover in more detail in our article on can a praying mantis grow back limbs.

The consequences of a bad mismolt can be severe. Mismolts can be mild, with only damaged wings or legs. In severe cases, the thorax can curve, preventing digestion of food. Mandible parts may be missing or damaged, preventing the mantis from chewing food.

The main causes of mismolts are things that are very preventable in a captive setting. According to Mantis Monarch, mismolts are usually caused by a lack of proper gripping material, too much or too little heat, too much or too little humidity, leaving live feeders inside the enclosure, pre-molt injuries, or disturbing the mantis by moving or opening the enclosure while it is molting.

So if you keep a praying mantis as a pet, the best thing you can do during a molt is simply leave it alone completely. No feeding, no handling, no opening the enclosure. This is especially important if you’re just getting started — check out our guide on the best praying mantis species for beginners to find a species that tends to be a little more forgiving while you’re still learning.

Do Adult Praying Mantises Still Shed Their Skin?

No, once a praying mantis reaches adulthood it stops molting entirely. Once they reach adulthood, they stop growing, which eliminates the need to shed their skin. The purpose of molting is to remove an older, smaller exoskeleton and allow a larger one to take its place. Since adults are done growing, there’s simply no reason for the process to continue.

The final molt is actually a big event in a mantis’s life. After the final molt, the adult mantis emerges with fully developed wings. Immediately after emergence, the adult mantis begins the process of wing unfolding and expansion. The wings are initially soft and folded against the body, but they gradually expand and harden as they are exposed to air. If you’ve ever wondered whether praying mantises can actually use those wings, our article on can a praying mantis fly answers that in full.

Conclusion

Praying mantises shed their skin multiple times throughout their lives, and it’s one of the most important things they do. Without molting, they simply cannot grow. The process is natural, fascinating, and completely normal — but it’s also a vulnerable time for the mantis, especially in captivity. Whether you’re a first-time mantis owner or just genuinely curious about these incredible insects, knowing what molting looks like and what to watch out for goes a long way. If you want to keep learning, our guides on the praying mantis lifespan and praying mantis breeding are great next reads.