Mantis has lost a forearm

[Wonderpants]

One of my orchids has lost a forearm at the elbow joint

. Not sure if it gotten bitten off by a cricket(it was OK yesterday), he bit it off himself, or got it trapped somehow (he’s in a plastic pot with press on lid). From a quick read up, it seems that it may be able to regenerate the arm at the next moult (he’s a L4 so still got a few moults to go) and that hand feeding it or giving it freshly dead food may be of help. Anyone here had a similar issue?

 

[MantisGirl13]

I've had similar issues and found that the forearms don't generally regenerate. Sorry! 

You can hand feed it, but I would try to stay away from crickets. 

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Ax55]

Usually when I feed my mantises feeders that could potentially hurt it (i.e. roaches, bees, crickets) I either feed them already killed or monitor them when I give it to them live. Crickets are known to attempt to attack mantises during molting, so they need to be handled with caution when feeding.

 

[Acro]

It can live a full life with the use of one "arm".  Just be sure to monitor it's feeding and be sure there is nothing it can get it's other "arm" caught on.

Good Luck! 

 

[kynsylph]

I had a similar issue with a tenodera sinesis (the one in my profile picture actually!). He was maybe born without a forearm or lost it very very early because he didn't have one at L2. It took him until his sub-adult moult, so L8 in his case, in order for it to grow back to a functional size. As an adult, one arm is slightly shorter than the other but that's it. From L2-L5 or so it didn't look like any growth was happening at all, and then all of a sudden the little nub that was left after the joint started getting longer and longer with each moult. He didn't seem to have any problems hunting with one arm, and would sometimes just pin prey to the floor/wall/ceiling of the cup in order to get a good grip.

I don't know how different orchids are, but I'm sure Acro is right and he'll have a happy and healthy life with just one arm!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I have had many that way, the arm usually grows back, but they are very good huter with one arm, some of my are most aggressive than those with two arms.

 

[Mantis Lady]

If you feed crickets , watch them grab it and eat. crickets can be nasty and can hurt the mantis.

Better give grasshoppers