Paralysis?

[Janice]

Hey everyone,

So I'm having some peculiar paralysis problems with my male ghost. He's one molt away from adult and these past few days it looks like he's about to molt. However, I noticed since a few days ago that his four hind legs would just go limp/paralyzed and he couldn't use them. He would rely on his raptorials to drag himself or pull himself up.

It also looks like he's close to molting, but I'm worried that if his legs are paralyzed (periodically, hopefully not permanently) then it would mess up his molt.

*Update* The paralysis (or whatever it is) has gotten worse. He couldn't support himself at all, not even by his raptorials. It was like this for a day or two. I made the hard decision to put him in the same container with the female (who ate him by the end of the day).

Just wondering if anyone out there has had this problem and if anyone could give insight into what it is?

(a pic of him before it got worse)

 

[DinehCaveman]

I had a similar thing happen to a young adult female ghost, I think it was stale water from the spray bottle, even though I used fresh water. Just a guess though. You may want to sterilize the tube and sprayer.

 

[Janice]

That's a good idea. I've forgotten to do that. If that is the cause however, I don't understand how it affected only the male and not the female or the adult male B. mendica I'm also raising?

 

[DinehCaveman]

There's a thread started by Rick, I think, about this issue, most likely caused by the mantid falling, seems to be the consensus. Sort of a mantid TBI.

Seems like you found the thread.