Praying Mantids are Starting to Molt! - The First L3 Has Arrived!

For the last couple days one of the mantids had been refusing food, and I suspected it was getting ready to molt (the process of shedding its exoskeleton). This is a normal behavior they do when they grow since their exoskeleton is external. They pull their soft body out of the old “shell” and then stretch out and wait for a new exoskeleton to harden. The new exoskeleton is larger, and has more room for their increased size.

Here is a picture of the old exoskeleton (darker and in front) and the soft freshly molted mantis which is larger in the background.

The next molt will like take place in 2-3 weeks.
Neither of the other 2 mantids have molted yet.