# Lost Leg



## Lukony

My mantis somehow lost a hind leg last night I am not to sure how but it seems to be getting around ok. I was wondering if it would grow back with the next molt or atleast slowly start to grow back.


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## Rick

It will grow back a little each molt.


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## yen_saw

If your mantis is near adult stage, it will not likely to have a complete leg by the time it reaches adulthood. But it should be no problem to have the complete regrown leg if the mantis is before L4 stage. It also depends on how much of a leg is lost.


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## Lukony

I'm pretty sure he is L3 but he might be L4. He lost most of the leg you can still see a bit sticking out from his abdoman. It still seems to get around and was catching crickets last night.


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## Ian

In that case, it will more than likely grow back. Although, if it didn't, a missing leg usually doesn't do any harm. Only thing it really "lets down" are things like, shedding, and mating.


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## Lukony

It seems to just use its abdoman as another leg now. But one of my other mantids has a hurt claw so it is having trouble walking.


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## Lukony

I thought I would give you all an update. Tripod just molted and pretty much all of her leg is back. I am surprised since only a nub was there before the molt.


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## yen_saw

Thta's good to know! good job! I also noticed that the smaller the mantis, the faster they regenerate the lost leg. Especially with plenty of food. However, praying mantis with lost limb(s) take longer to reach next molt based on past experience.


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## 13ollox

mines gone and lost a bloody leg now too :shock: just moulted and it now has 2 back legs . 1 middle leg . and 2 front legs . i did see that it wasnt using it as well as it should ( was just hanging basically ) maybe them shedding a leg off is a way of getting rid of something thats damaged and would only hinder them and then it can grow back and be usefull once again ? what do you guys think it is ?

Thanks

Neil


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## Lukony

might just have gotten pulled off. There isn't much holding that leg on. I was lucky enough to have tri pod molt into L4 with a new leg.


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## 13ollox

my gf decided to call mine " mouse " yea ... i just recieved the lil fella this morning from ian . he about 2 cm long now and is a giant asian mantis so not exactly sure what L he is at the moment . but he better get better.. his gfs are way ahead of him in the maturity stakes. i guess there aint alot for the leg to hold on too as there so small but i aint had trouble with this before and it's leg didn't seem right anyway .. but anything is a possibility i suppose !

thanks

Neil


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## Lukony

Ya, my only male grandis just died this morning. I could tell he was pulling the sick thing. So, my two females now need me to go get them a new mate lol. Probably should find some males for my marbled mantises.


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## 13ollox

mines done the same, it's dead also so no point worrying bout a busted leg anymore  .


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## Lukony

Jeez, didn't you just get it? Were you giving him food, he might have just gotten hungry and started eating himself?


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## 13ollox

he was all in tact apart from where his leg come off in the moult ! but he did hang after his moult funny ... i read this in another discussion about this guys orchid was hanging stretched , you know how mantids sit with there legs bent at the knee and body close to the top of its tank .. well mine didnt .. it's legs wernt bent alot . only at a few degrees and its body was hanging kinda far from the top ! and yea i just did get it , less that 24 hours i had it , what a bummer !

Thanks

Neil


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## Lukony

Mine always seem to hang from the abdoman after molting. Eventually they finally pull the rest of their body out of the old casing. Sorry to hear that it died on you.


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## Justin

My L3/4 paradoxa just log one of it's rear logs in a molt. It's eating fine though.


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