Eye coloring

[wojnarl]

I'm new at keeping mantids. Purchased a "green mantid" recently (the lady in the store was unable to provide me with the name of the exact species). Suspect it is an indian mantid. Only had "Sticky" for a week now. He has already shed and eaten a cricket.

My observation:

Last night his normally green eyes (with a small brown bit) became completely brown, like two complete brown domes. This morning, they are back to being green again.

What happened? Is this something I should be worried about?

Les

 

[Morpheus uk]

No, they just adapt to light conditions, darkening when the lights darkening, well thats what ive read

 

[Rick]

It is normal.

 

[macro junkie]

already done a thread on this before..

 

[Morpheus uk]

Nice comparisons, dont you have that great one of one with one eye dark the other light?

 

[macro junkie]

Nice comparisons, dont you have that great one of one with one eye dark the other light?

sure do

 

[Guest_wojnarl_*]

sure do

Thanks guys. I can sleep easy now.

Much appreciated.

Les

 

[galapoheros]

The eyes darkening to adjust for light looks like an obvious answer but does anybody know or even have a theory about why they darken at night? I wonder what the sight difference is for them when they darken. Are they blocking light or seeing different light rays than they normally would during the day when the darken? Anybody know how they darken their eyes? I wonder how they do it, what's going on at a microscopic level. Maybe you'd have to be a mantis to answer some of those questions :blink: . Pretty cool bug stuff.

 

[Rick]

The eyes darkening to adjust for light looks like an obvious answer but does anybody know or even have a theory about why they darken at night? I wonder what the sight difference is for them when they darken. Are they blocking light or seeing different light rays than they normally would during the day when the darken? Anybody know how they darken their eyes? I wonder how they do it, what's going on at a microscopic level. Maybe you'd have to be a mantis to answer some of those questions :blink: . Pretty cool bug stuff.

There are a couple members here that can answer that question.

 

[galapoheros]

That'd be cool and hope they post. It does make sense that the 2, maybe 3 questions I'm wondering about would have been looked into before.

 

[Pelle]

Here is an old topic: Click

 

[galapoheros]

Thanks for digging that up Pelle.

 

[OGIGA]

I have one too!

 

[macro junkie]

I have one too!

the freaks back in town :lol:

 

[galapoheros]

Ha, cool! It looks like it's been abused. Wait, wait, your story is that it "fell" <_< , right? Everybody has some nice pics.

 

[mrblue]

Ha, cool! It looks like it's been abused. Wait, wait, your story is that it "fell" <_< , right? Everybody has some nice pics.

"her parents will say she fell down the stairs..." :lol: