Hello everyone!
I wanted to create a post about what I’ve read about eye discolouration and possible causes. I couldn’t find a list anywhere.
I am NOT a scientist!!! I am simply a girl who loves her mantis and spent hours and hours researching what was going on with his eye. I didn’t find any answers until I posted on here asking for help. I’m hoping to save some other Mantis owners time and stress with this post. If anything here is incorrect, please call me out on it!
1. Diet
About a month ago I posted asking for help in regard to my Chinese Mantis (L3 at the time) having one dark eye. @MantisTrainer suggested it was due to the diet of fruit flies. Two moults later with a new diet of bluebottle & house flies, his eye is completely back to normal! I’ve attached a photo of him with his wonky eye & what his eye looks like now.
2. Light
In lower/dim lighting at night, both eyes will turn black ESPECIALLY for Chinese Mantis! This is normal as long as your mantid’s eyes are their usual colour once there is more light. If this occurs during the day in bright light, it could mean dehydration or illness. @Descartes has a great reply about this topic, here is a link: https://mantidforum.net/threads/both-my-mantises-eyes-changed-color-drastically.37554/post-293889
3. Eye Rub
The most common cause of eye rub is too much visual stimulation such as being close to another Mantis enclosure. The Mantis will rub its face against the enclosure and damage it’s eyes. Another reason for eye rub is old age. Eye rub can look like large “pupils” or black dots on one or both eyes. Sometimes this will resolve on its own with moults, as long as the visual stimulation is removed. There are so many photos of this I didn’t feel the need to attach one.
Those are the top 3 issues I’ve come across, apart from infections which are quite complicated and present with additional symptoms. I hope this helps & I am open to any feedback or criticism!
I wanted to create a post about what I’ve read about eye discolouration and possible causes. I couldn’t find a list anywhere.
I am NOT a scientist!!! I am simply a girl who loves her mantis and spent hours and hours researching what was going on with his eye. I didn’t find any answers until I posted on here asking for help. I’m hoping to save some other Mantis owners time and stress with this post. If anything here is incorrect, please call me out on it!
1. Diet
About a month ago I posted asking for help in regard to my Chinese Mantis (L3 at the time) having one dark eye. @MantisTrainer suggested it was due to the diet of fruit flies. Two moults later with a new diet of bluebottle & house flies, his eye is completely back to normal! I’ve attached a photo of him with his wonky eye & what his eye looks like now.
2. Light
In lower/dim lighting at night, both eyes will turn black ESPECIALLY for Chinese Mantis! This is normal as long as your mantid’s eyes are their usual colour once there is more light. If this occurs during the day in bright light, it could mean dehydration or illness. @Descartes has a great reply about this topic, here is a link: https://mantidforum.net/threads/both-my-mantises-eyes-changed-color-drastically.37554/post-293889
3. Eye Rub
The most common cause of eye rub is too much visual stimulation such as being close to another Mantis enclosure. The Mantis will rub its face against the enclosure and damage it’s eyes. Another reason for eye rub is old age. Eye rub can look like large “pupils” or black dots on one or both eyes. Sometimes this will resolve on its own with moults, as long as the visual stimulation is removed. There are so many photos of this I didn’t feel the need to attach one.
Those are the top 3 issues I’ve come across, apart from infections which are quite complicated and present with additional symptoms. I hope this helps & I am open to any feedback or criticism!
