Dead Leaf eating its own leg?

[falloffalot]

Hi guys

On another thread I mentioned that my unfertile Dead Leaf produced an ootheca a while back.

I have noticed she has been particularly ravenous this week and even grabbed a Cricket from my before I could drop it in, but made sure I haven’t over fed her.

I have just noticed that she has pulled one of her rear legs off and eaten it :blink:

Is she on her way out or gone a little peculiar ?

 

[hibiscusmile]

That does not sound good, she could have 3 to 4 crickets a day if at the 1/2 to 3/4 size, how many are u giving her? They are a big mantis n eats a lot for the ootheca.

 

[falloffalot]

I try and vary her diet from weeke to week.

This week she is having 1 large cricket every 1 - 2 days, depends if she pounces on it straight away or not.

Last week it was Mealworms which she loves next week it will be Locust, these seam to be softer than the others because she usually rips the in half them eats them.

If I find anything in the garden like big flys, wasps or spiders i'll chuck them in as a treat.

Just dropped a large Cricket in and she appears to be interested in it and looks to be coping ok minus a leg.

I'll keep an eye on 'Jawsy' and see hows she's geting on.

PS. I always thought that only Male Mantids have wings, I take it this isn't the case?

 

[dgerndt]

Nope, both male and female mantids have wings. Males often times have wings that go past the end of the abdomen, because the abdomen is shorter in length than females'.