Captive bred Chinese had been doing just fine after it's second molt, feeded well 2 nights ago. On the morning after it's last feed (Yesterday) I moved towards the tank and she was jumping around nervously as if striking out, completely random actions falling on her back, lying on her side as if crippled, lashing out and so I took a closer inspection. Only one small cricket, with 1 rear leg removed to help my mantis feed, and several fruit flies are in the tank. I decided to check her out in a sterile enclosure and she was extremely freaked out as I approached her with my finger, normally my mantis jump onto my finger immediately, and I have trouble getting the girls back in their enclosures! This one was certainly not a happy critter. Rather than stressing her out too much I used a sprig of juniper and gentle placed it too her and waited for her to climb on it in her own time, which she did fairly quickly.
I placed in isolation in situ on the juniper sprig and watch her for a time, and still she appeared to be skittish and somewhat stressed or irritated. Time for a closer look. Please remember I had seen her imerge from molting and checked her out for a good time after, to make sure she was in good condition. After molt and drying it was not long before I saw her with a juicy wingless fruit fly. So, everything was fine right? Wrong! On close inspection under the magnifying tank I found she was costantly attending herself, I thought cleaning herself.Her body was not necessarily thin and I knew she had been feeding so was not concerned of starvation and in general appearance she look like any 2nd instar chinese, but, I noticed while she was feverishly cleaning that one antenae was half its size, and one top leg section was missing, not the clasping claws but the small thin feeler section. What on earth could have done that damage, a fruit fly? Was she eating herself for some reason, maybe something irritating her?
So as I speak, I watch her now, she's standing up looking all normal and still constantly cleaning herself then suddenly lashing out her front legs at nothing, no movement, nothing. Any ideas??
I placed in isolation in situ on the juniper sprig and watch her for a time, and still she appeared to be skittish and somewhat stressed or irritated. Time for a closer look. Please remember I had seen her imerge from molting and checked her out for a good time after, to make sure she was in good condition. After molt and drying it was not long before I saw her with a juicy wingless fruit fly. So, everything was fine right? Wrong! On close inspection under the magnifying tank I found she was costantly attending herself, I thought cleaning herself.Her body was not necessarily thin and I knew she had been feeding so was not concerned of starvation and in general appearance she look like any 2nd instar chinese, but, I noticed while she was feverishly cleaning that one antenae was half its size, and one top leg section was missing, not the clasping claws but the small thin feeler section. What on earth could have done that damage, a fruit fly? Was she eating herself for some reason, maybe something irritating her?
So as I speak, I watch her now, she's standing up looking all normal and still constantly cleaning herself then suddenly lashing out her front legs at nothing, no movement, nothing. Any ideas??
