Dark Spots on Eyes

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GreenOasis

GreenOasis

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My adult female shield has developed dark spots on the lenses of both her eyes and I am just wondering if anyone knows what they are or how to prevent/cure them? She was a very calm girl before and enjoyed being held (as much as a bug could), but now she is very skittish and leaps off our hands from sudden movements, so I'm pretty sure these dark spots are affecting her sight.

Also, she is not very old...just molted to adult a couple/few weeks ago, so I don't think this could be age related. Humidity perhaps?

Any help or comments would be appreciated!

 
It's pretty common. I've had several species do that as nymphs and adults. My Chinese female was the worst though.

 
She is in a plastic tub-style container with the lid cut out & a screen glued in. She spends most of her time hanging from the screen at the top.

I keep her in the house, which stays about 74 degrees and has been pretty dry lately. I've been misting her more, but...I don't think this condition is reversible. Just hoping someone can tell me what causes it & how to prevent it in the future.

 
It usually means that the eyes were damaged. Maybe something poked it or something. Like all damages, molting would heal it but since it's already an adult, it's going to stay that way. Prevention? Well I can only think of a few things. (1) Don't feed it something that has the ability to hurt the mantid and (2) when a mantid is going to molt, try to make sure it can molt safely - meaning that as it molts, make sure there isn't any spikey things on bottom when it is sliding down out of it's molt.

 
I really think its from the mantids walking into the sides of the clear enclosure. I've had this problem with so many Chinese that I keep in glass or plastic. I though it was just them but I kept a few shields in a critter keeper and what happened? Black eye spots! However, the shields in the net cages are fine.

When its warm the mantids get more active and end up trying to walk through the glass.

 
guapoalto049 said:
I really think its from the mantids walking into the sides of the clear enclosure. I've had this problem with so many Chinese that I keep in glass or plastic. I though it was just them but I kept a few shields in a critter keeper and what happened? Black eye spots! However, the shields in the net cages are fine.

When its warm the mantids get more active and end up trying to walk through the glass.
Click to expand...
Yep, that's the standard explanation, though I'm not sure that anyone has proved it.

 
I did that once. Walked right into a glass door and, sure enough, I ended up with a black eye. (Well, it's not exactly the same thing, but...)

;-)

 
It generally isnot a problem. I have had mantids that had this issue so bad their entire eye was black, but it still didn't affect their vision from what I could tell. Most people will tell you the spots are from banging into the cage sides. I don't believe that is the cause since I also find it on wild mantids too. There is nothing you can do about it and as I said they are generally not a problem.

 
Perhaps once I get some net enclosures, I will keep some nymphs from the same hatch group in them (and some in plastic cups) to see if they ever develop "black eye". I know that no prey item has damaged her eyes. She hasn't had crickets since L5 and I feed her roaches by hand. (Flies I let her get on her own, but it takes her several tries now, where before the black spots, it only took one.)

I will have to get on here later and post a pic, if I can get a good one...that way, everyone will know what we're talking about! ;)

 
My adult Chinese mantis had black spots on both her eyes. She had a little trouble seeing, so I just helped her by hand feeding and pulling off a few legs from the crickets I gave her. It slowed them down and it was easier for her to catch them. She still lived a good life, and the black spots never covered her whole eyes. Your mantis should be fine. :)

 
My female Stagmomantis carolina developed black spots on her eyes. It didn't seem to stop her from catching prey at all. I have had several Tenodera sinensis with the spots, and they could still see ok. I just don't like the way it looks.

 
Rick said:
It generally isnot a problem. I have had mantids that had this issue so bad their entire eye was black, but it still didn't affect their vision from what I could tell. Most people will tell you the spots are from banging into the cage sides. I don't believe that is the cause since I also find it on wild mantids too. There is nothing you can do about it and as I said they are generally not a problem.
Click to expand...
Very interesting answer, Rick. It doesn't mean that captive mantids are not banging their eyes against their plastic enclosure, but it does show that it is not the only possible cause. Does this always yhappen to both eyes? If so, i would think it to be due to a pathological/deteriorative cause, akin to human cataracts,though cataracts sometimes develop in just one eye.

 
I do believe one of the way these spots can be caused is by repetitive rubbing along their eyes which they are prone to do when trying to get out of cage. Soft net cages in my experience seem to be the best to prevent this. Not because they don't still do it, but because the soft netting doesn't seem to cause the same damage a rougher surface could. Wouldn't surprise me to see this same issue on wild mantises because wild mantises are out in a rough and tumble world and mantises tend to go head or should I say eye first through their world when moving about.

 
I thought that it had something to do with age, but I have an L4 Stagmomantis carolina male with spots now. I also have one old Tenodera sinensis that I notice has been rubbing her face on her plastic container almost every day. I find it strange that she doesn't have a mark on her eyes, or anywhere. :blink:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I, too, have an ancient female Carolina, who rubs along the plastic cage ALL the time, yet has perfect eyes. The Shield with the dark spots has never rubbed from what I've seen. (She tends to actually reach forward with her raptor claws first...not head first.)

Here's a few pics I managed to get while she was eating a roach:

spots1.jpg


spots2.jpg


spots3.jpg


 
Oh, and as I was alluding to before...I think it may be a humidity issue. If she is not directly dehydrated, I think the "damage" may be from her rubbing her own eyes with her claws out of irritation from them being dry. I have noticed very slight improvement by misting her more...so I will be sure to keep the Shield nymphs at a higher humidity and see if that helps.

I've talked with Precarious before and he's mentioned that he mists stuff a lot...Precarious, have you ever noticed black spots on your mantids' eyes?

 
I mist my mantids alot, (I am hoping not too much) :unsure: , twice a day most of the time. Sometimes I will do it more often if the paper towel seems dry, a few of my mantids like to drink alot. :lol: Some of my mantids get the spots and some of them don't. It would be nice to figure out how to prevent the spots, if they can be prevented.

 

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