Prohierodula picta chewing her feet?

[solaris]

My adult female Prohierodula picta (shed to adult in early November) has, over the last month, steadily chewed off all 6 of her feet, though she still seems in good health besides struggling to climb. She is hand-fed due to an issue with her eyesight, so I don't leave feeders in her tank. She's been fed regularly, a medium locust every other day.

I should also note that this behaviour accompanied a movement of her tank from my termtime home to my holiday home; could the foot-chewing have been caused by the stress of this change in environment? I have resolved the climbing issue as best I can, I would just like to know what triggered this behaviour so I can prevent it in the future.

 

[CosbyArt]

@solaris The issue tends to be one of a few things for them to do that, and sadly little can be done in most cases to help them.

It tends to affect adult mantids most commonly, and they require special or direct hand feeding as they can no longer capture prey themselves - as you are doing now. Some adults simply seem to fall apart in old age too, but if you are watching it biting off it's legs then that is not it (and the last molt in November it should not be old enough yet either).

The tarsi/legs become trapped in the habitat (typically mesh) and they chew it off to release the leg. Sometimes the feet no longer function properly, and they remove them for better mobility. A few times the affected appendages can be covered in tiny mites or possible bacteria infection, and they amputate it to keep it from spreading. Or lastly the mantid simply has a mental disorder, as nothing else explains the condition - and a few mantids have been know to keep chewing various legs until they can not even move.

In a few cases a couple mantids have moved on to biting holes into their abdomen once their legs were nothing more than stumps.

Unfortunately missing legs can lead to a bacterial infection due to the open wounds, causing further problems. Depending on the extent of the health issues some consider euthanasia if the mantid is extremely bad. The most humane method most agree on is placing the mantid in a freezer for 48 hours (I use to say 24 hours, but had a mantid wake-up before when it warmed after a 24 hour freeze.)

In most cases though euthanasia is not needed, and the mantids live to old age with hand feeding. See a few of the below topics for other experiences, there are many others that can be found searching the forum too...

 

[solaris]

Thanks for all the info. Unfortunately although the leg chewing seems to have stopped at her feet she isn't doing very well. She's been refusing food for almost two weeks at this point, her antennae are drooping and she is very lethargic. I fear she may have contracted an infection.

She's been a strange little girl since I got her. I'll be sorry to lose her. She's still taking water at the moment so I haven't given up entirely but I don't have much hope if she won't eat soon. I've tried honey and liquefied insects and she just won't take barely any of it. Thanks anyway though.

 

[CosbyArt]

@solaris Your welcome, but sorry to hear it has advanced so badly. As she is accepting water and your trying honey and liquefied insects hopefully she will eat soon. Best of luck.