What’s up with my mantid’s eyes???

[Owldoggo]

Really, what’s going on with Moriarty??? 
just a few hours ago he was completely fine, sitting still and stuff while I took pictures of him 



then I go in to spray his enclosure and I see he has dark brown eyes, what’s going on??? It doesn’t look like eye rub. 

please help!! I’m really worried

 

[MrGhostMantis]

It’s just his eyes adjusting to the light, no worry’s

 

[Owldoggo]

It’s just his eyes adjusting to the light, no worry’s

Ohhh. Well— I feel pretty dumb now, haha! Thank you!

 

[MrGhostMantis]

No problem

 

[Mantis Man13]

Yeah it’s really cool how it does that! Green eyes at day and brown at night.

 

[Mystymantis]

Yes mantis eyes adjust to night or day. It's really cool. I noticed it one day and was quite interested.   It is the ommatidia (tiny lenses in insect compound eyes) that transition from day (apposition eyes) to night (superpositon) eyes or something like that.  The ommatidia change in order to bring in more or less light which makes them change color. It is quite fascinating.

 

[Mantis Man13]

Which one brings in more light? The brown ones i presume? And how would it?

 

[Curiosity]

Isn't that like how black is the absence of all color because it absorbs all light? I'm just guessing based on that bit of knowledge, but I'd assume darker eyes absorb more light than light ones. . . I wouldn't quote me on that though. 

 

[kurlyq101]

Ohhh. Well— I feel pretty dumb now, haha! Thank you!

I just came here with the same question! I figured there was nothing actually wrong because I've noticed one of my mantis' eyes change between a reddish-brown and green a couple times and he's still kickin', but I thought I might be crazy. It's SO COOL to know that! It's wild to me how much amazing things there are to learn about mantids that you won't find in general "mantis fact" stuff- only here!

 

[Cosmic Kitten]

Yea, that's pretty fricken cool.