# Eating itself?!



## OGIGA (Feb 21, 2007)

This is weird, but I saw one of my mantises eat its own antenna. Now it's short like nothing and there's juice coming from the tip of the eaten antenna. I think this mantis might have an infection, as there is a dark patch on its abdomen. I thought it's hungry so now I'm feeding it lots of fruit flies.


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## robo mantis (Feb 21, 2007)

2 of my mantids did that then they died


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## Rick (Feb 21, 2007)

I've heard of people having this happen but I can say it's never happened to me.


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## ABbuggin (Feb 21, 2007)

I have had this happen before. But it was only becase the mantis either had a bad leg or other part. The mantis simiply was getting rid of a bad limb.

I have also seen this happen when the mantid's leg was caught in something and could not get it out. It just ate it off so it could escape.

The first paragraph may be the reason why your manis did what it did.

:wink:

AB


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## yen_saw (Feb 21, 2007)

> I have also seen this happen when the mantid's leg was caught in something and could not get it out. It just ate it off so it could escape.


WOW!! :shock:

This happened to my mantis before, the mantis just sit there but didn't consume its trapped raptorial arm.

Besides that, i have never seen one consuming its own body part before. My guess is same as ABbuggin, it is probably trying to save its live by getting rid of the infected part before it spreads out. Otherwise not sure why they would want to do that. Just an opinion though.


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## Rob Byatt (Feb 21, 2007)

It is amazing isn't it !? I've seen this happen on various occasions. Mantids will remove a damaged limb down to the next joint.

They always stop at the joint as this is where haemolymph will cease to flow.

There was quite a discussion on this subject somewhere on here before, but here are pictures of it happening if it can't be found;

Enjoy..... she did :wink:


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## wuwu (Feb 21, 2007)

i've had a female orchid mantis do this when one of her forearms got a fungal infection. unfortunately, she still ended up dying.


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## Rory (Feb 21, 2007)

atleast she didn't die hungry.....  

I have had my mantis do this once (eating its leg) and the leg reappeared after the next moult. :lol: I was really worried :lol:


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## OGIGA (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks for the responses, everyone. It's still alive and I hope it'll live.


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## robo mantis (Feb 22, 2007)

did you feed it well?


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## OGIGA (Feb 22, 2007)

I fed it 4 fruit flies last night. It ate rather quickly.


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## robo mantis (Feb 22, 2007)

if it is fat it should do fine.


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