Broken ankle

[Kasael]

I have a five month old (adult male) Sphodromantis lineola. His rear back ankle started bending the wrong way a couple days ago; now the foot seems dead, stiff, and useless. He still tries to climb with it, but it tends to just get stuck on things. I know insects don't quite work the same as us vertebrates, but I'm worried about necrosis, or whatever its exoskeleton equivalent is. Should I leave it as is and hope for the best, or attempt to remove the leg?

He has a host of other issues - refusing to eat, agitation, eye rub - that worry me as well, so sometimes I wonder if I should just put him down. Still, it seems like a shame since he only reached adulthood a couple months ago...

 

[Connor]

If he is 5 months into adulthood he sounds old to me... just nature taking its course.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I agree, he is old man

 

[Okoboji22]

5 months is very old for a male mantis and he could be nearing the end of his lifespan. It's sad that they live so sort but that's just nature.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Put slight honey on the wound. And give him some honey for a treat. Might help healing the ankle but your mantis sounds like it’s old for a 5 month adult 

 

[Ocelotbren]

I had a similar thing happen to the foot of my male Chinese mantis in his last month or two of life.  He lived to about five months as an adult.  First his tarsus fell off, then the raptor started turning black on the end and eventually the whole raptor seized up.  Just a sign of old age I think, sadly.