Update: I think it may be female after all, I just assumed it male because the female that made her way into my den last year was much larger and bright green in color. I knew she had left her egg sac in my house somewhere, but i never did find it. She stayed here high above my windows, hidden from my cats, and came out every few days to hunt. We would injure flies and feed them to her but i never did try to handle or catch her. She lived out her life and then we found this one hanging out inside my son's Batcave toy. I figure it came from her egg sac, as there are also a bunch around the outside of my house this year too and there wasn't the year before. Anyway, she molted ;last night and my roomate said she fell and got stuck between something in her enclosure. He said he only moved what was keeping her stuck and did not touch her, she climbed back up to the top on her own. But she is still not moving that leg much and she got her wings and they are damaged, she seems quite clumsy in her movements, and again I tried to feed her, she snatched at the fly several times but was unable to grab it. I fear that this may be the end of her, She would not take the fly from the tweezers, just kept looking at me. The fly finally wiggled free and flew off. I feel terrible, wish I had let her go outside and take her chances with nature. What should I do now? She seems to have molted fine otherwise, she isn't stuck in it or anything, but her wings are deformed- one of them is partially sticking out-away from her body. And like I said, she isnt really using that leg , she keeps it tucked up against her body. She only pulled it out when she was grabbing at the fly, but seems it wasnt working properly. Sorry for posting in the wrong place- I was just desperate to get some advice from somebody with some experience with Mantids, as I am obviously not the best keeper.
