Stumpy is blind now

[DinehCaveman]

So stumpy molted to L5 on 7-21-13 he had a problem with a rear leg curving slightly when drying. I had noticed that one of his eyes was darkening, now both eyes are blackened, I have been hand feeding him mealworm push pops(squeeze from the bottom like toothpaste). My question is will the eyes repair them selves on his next molts, if he makes it?

 

[ScienceGirl]

Sad!

 

[agent A]

it could just be from lighting

 

[hibiscusmile]

how can u tell he is blind?

 

[DinehCaveman]

He doesn't turn his head when flies are near , stays in one spot, only reacts to contact.

 

[Sticky]

How is stumpy doing?

 

[ScienceGirl]

Are his eyes completely black like that all of the time? During the day, when it's bright, too?

 

[DinehCaveman]

His eyes were completely black at all times, I hand fed him until it was clear he was fading. Man that mantis went through a lot from L1 till the end(L5).

 

[SirNovak]

I think my mantis was actually starting to go blind from sitting under the light above her terrarium


Mantis by SirNovak, on Flickr

The black marks you see on her eyes there, are stationary, and if you look from above you can actually see the pupils behind them.

She could still hunt fine, but she had trouble seeing right in front of her, which made alot of sense now that I think of it cause toward the end I was hand feeding her, and she wasn't seeing the prey unless it was off to the side.

I also wonder how much their simple eyes on the center of their heads help them out in a blindness situation.

 

[gripen]

She has eye rub. It is caused when a mantis rubs its eyes on the glass of a terrarium.

 

[SirNovak]

She has eye rub. It is caused when a mantis rubs its eyes on the glass of a terrarium.

I didn't know that!

Thanks for the info!