Blind Hierodula Majuscula(Giant rainforest mantis) (possible eye infection)

BernardBlack

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Nov 16, 2016
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I noticed after a moult my Hierodula Majuscula had red patches over the front of her compound eyes. She molted last night/this morning and revealed black pitted sections on the front of her compound eyes. We think it's an infection but as she's my first mantis and I can't find much info on eye damage online I'm not 100% certain so would appreciate any advice or comments people have. I've attached a picture of her eyes. We think she's blind or partially sighted as she can only strike prey when we hold oit in front of her antennae and gently touch it to them, however she can still climb and attempt to strike at prey.
 

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Andrea82

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Jan 12, 2016
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She could have been rubbing her eyes against the walls of her enclosure, causing this. As far as to why they do that, keepers are nit really sure. There is a theory that the mantis does this because of too many stimuli outside the tank,and the mantis unknowingly rubs its eyes to get closer to the thing that is moving. A solution supporting this theory would be to put it somewhere more quiet.
Was this the final molt? Does she have wings?
 

basin79

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Could a cricket have eaten them whilst she's moulted?
 

BernardBlack

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Nov 16, 2016
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Haven't observed her rubbing her eyes on the enclosure but she did moult on a low hanging branch the moult before last and was pushed against the substrate whilst moulting. No it's not her final moult think she's around an L6 (just got her wing buds this morning when she moulted as far as we can tell)
 

BernardBlack

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Nov 16, 2016
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Watched her Moult the time before last and nothing in her enclosure this morning or last night. The red patches actually appeared a couple weeks after the moult before the one this morning which was what made me discount moulting damage initially.
 

Andrea82

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Jan 12, 2016
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The damage done by rubbing unfortunately doesn't always end with molt. But she could also be damaged by molting so close to the floor. As long as you can feed her, and maybe assist her with drinking water by spraying lightly beside her or on her, and she can move around, she should be fine. There is a lot of contradiction in cause and treatment of eye diseases unfortunately.
 
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