OMG!!! Poke out or damaged eye

[sk8erkho]

OMG, I just went to check on my recently molted mantis and as I kooked at him I noticed something either on or in his eye. :blink: I got the camera lens and it a "HOLE". I looks like it was poked or busted or some such stufff. What the ...could have happened. I noticed he is still like walking really close to the ground so to speak, but now I don't think he can see well. Do I put him down. He's only in his second or third instar.

Could this hae anything to do with molting close to the bottom of the cup??? Maybe the skin was trapped on his eye for too long before I got to him???

What to do???

 

[Mantida]

Wait a few days. If he can hunt, he's fine.

I generally don't freeze my mantids, and always handfeed the crippled ones.

 

[Hypoponera]

Take a close look again. Is it an open wound? If so, the mantid will most likely die. Otherwise, you will just have to wait and see. He may survive but be unable to judge stricking distence well. That means you will need to hand feed him. If he survives until the next molt, some of the damage might be self repaired.

 

[sk8erkho]

Yeah I looked a gain it looks dented somehow. I really can't tell if in the middle of that dent is maybe a pinhole or whatever. But, so far it just looks like a dent. Weird as heck!

 

[asdsdf]

Do you see greenish liquid? It should harden and become black (happened to one of mine from a cricket.).... Also, it won't always die, and I don't know if it will fix itself...They hunt a little awkwardly, but are still able to. (The one with an eye missing hunts better thant the one with an arm missing...)

 

[idolomantis]

one of mantisses dont even have one eye....

 

[sk8erkho]

Little update on the bad eye deal. He molted and is in Great condition. No evidence of the affliction at alll!!! Very cool!! Molts are an extreme. They can totally cripple our little dudes and on the other hand absolutely heal certain injuries as if they never occurred in the first place!! kinda cool, in a way.