Severely damaged eyes (Rhombodera)

[Bureaucraat]

Today I received my male and female  Rhombodera sp. IGM 196  L5/6. It was sent out without a heatpack (on Monday and got them today at Wednesday), in far too small containers.  Unfortunately, that resulted in quite damaged mantids, especially the female (see photo). Her eyes seem to be damaged quite badly and I am unsure what I should/can do about it. Will the few molts she has left be able to fix her eyes, or is she doomed to live blind for the rest of her life? If so, with proper care and handfeeding, do you think she will still be able to mate?

Edit: You can not see it on the photo, but you can clearly see from the sides that the surface of her eyes are rough and uneven, not smooth liek it supposed to be

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Rub spots don't necessarily mean the mantis is blind. A lot of time even with large rub spots they can still see fine. I'm more concerned with the fact in the photo it looks like she might also have a black spot on her mouth and that with the description of the texture to the eye spots makes me wonder if they aren't just rub spots but a bacterial infection which can spread and cause damage to the underlying skin and beyond. 

I would also send the photos to the person you ordered from as I would personally find this sort of arrival condition unacceptable, especially if it was clear the containers were too small.

 

[CosbyArt]

@Bureaucraat If she has some molts left the damage can be repaired, sadly it is the most common shipping problem. She should be able to still locate prey and be fine in the meantime, just keep a watch that she can catch prey herself the first time or two.

The lack of a heat pack this time of year though is likely from a inexperienced seller, or one that shipped anyway and will claim your at fault for not requesting it (can be silly responses from sellers). I would make mention of it to the seller to see as well.

The spot on the mouth though I can not tell if it is a rub spot as well, coloration, or a serious problem. Viewing the full-size photo doesn't help either as it is too blurry.

Thankfully the poor mantid survived the ordeal and will hopefully fully recover.

 

[Bureaucraat]

Thank you guys for the replies. I contacted the seller and after a few emails back and forward, he afford to give me 10-15 nymphs (same species) when his other otheca hatches in a few weeks. A very nice gesture.

The mantis isnt doing too well, though. She doesnt seem to see her food when its in front of her. She does when its close to her sides, but then reacts very defensive toward it. As a result, she has not eaten yet. Maybe she just isnt hungry but im not sure. I will keep on trying to handfeed her till she finally does eat.

 

[crabbypatty]

Aww, poor thing. At least your seller is resolving the issue somewhat. 

 

[GayJerk]

When my mantids become picky at what they eat, I just put some natural honey on it and put it near their mouth. Every mantis I've had LOVES honey. Even though she gets defensive it couldn't hurt to try.

 

[izbiggs]

Make sure to keep her hydrated and try giving her raw, natural, unfiltered honey. My r. Basilis was also acting a little droopy and I gave him some water and honey and the next day he was much better. Yku could also try slicing a feeder open and squeezing the guts out a bit and putting that to her mouth and see if she grabs it. Best of luck with her! I hope she's better soon. 

 

[Zeppy44]

Raw honey diluted with water will both hydrate and supply some needed energy. For external injuries, etc, the undiluted honey would be best.

The first 2 times I gave straight honey they took it but not all were enthusiastic about it.  Last 2 time almost all took hold of dropper and didn't let go till finished. Haha  some took a while and my arm got tired till I propped it up.

When needed, I used raw unfiltered honey as a home remedy for my self and dog.

 

[Bureaucraat]

She molted to adult a few days back, which explains why she wouldnt eat. Unfortunately it did not restore her vision. She is not able to hunt on her own and it seems that I would need to hand feed her for the rest of her life. Real sad, but I dont mind hand feeding her. She does take her meals now so shes doing a lot better.

Does anyone of you have any clue how her lack of vision will affect the breeding process? The male has yet to mature and I never tried to breed mantids before, so I have no clue what to expect on that part.

 

[crabbypatty]

It shouldn't affect breeding. It might in fact help the male keep his head on since she won't be able to see him, lol.