Found injured adolescent preying mantis

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Drmsbear

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
10
Hi!
Brand new here so I’ll just get right to it. I found an injured praying mantis while walking my dog today. It appears to be an adolescent and it’s missing one of its front legs and the top of one eye appears to be burnt. One if it’s antennas gone too. I have no idea what happened to it but I picked it up and I brought it home with me. I felt terrible for it. It’s not a very steady walker either. Falls on its side a lot. I have it in a medium size container with some twigs and leaves and placed it under one of my house plants. I’m going to get it some meal worms as soon as my son wakes up from his nap. Every time I check in the mantis it looks like it’s preening or cleaning itself, specifically it’s legs and remaining arm. Should I try and keep it alive? I don’t want to be in any pain and it looks like whatever happened to it was painful I mean it involved fire. I’ve never owned a praying mantis but I have a lot respect for them. Can’t even hunt with one arm? Any advice and suggestions are very welcome I can also upload some pictures. Thanks in advance!!!!
 
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Drmsbear

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
10
He/she is moving pretty good in the container too. This makes me feel better.
 
mantisfan101

mantisfan101

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Messages
1,774
That’s not an adolescent. It’s an adult, and it looks like it’s on its last legs. It also looks like it was in a fight with a bird or maybe a lizard; even a little bit of fire would be enough to sizzle and kill the mantis. It doesn’t look good, but you can try tossing in a cricket and see if it’ll eat.
 
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Drmsbear

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
10
mantisfan101 said:
That’s not an adolescent. It’s an adult, and it looks like it’s on its last legs. It also looks like it was in a fight with a bird or maybe a lizard; even a little bit of fire would be enough to sizzle and kill the mantis. It doesn’t look good, but you can try tossing in a cricket and see if it’ll eat.
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I’ll go get some crickets right now. What do you think happened to it’s eye? Doesn’t look like fire to you?
 
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Drmsbear

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
10
mantisfan101 said:
That’s not an adolescent. It’s an adult, and it looks like it’s on its last legs. It also looks like it was in a fight with a bird or maybe a lizard; even a little bit of fire would be enough to sizzle and kill the mantis. It doesn’t look good, but you can try tossing in a cricket and see if it’ll eat.
Click to expand...
Good news! He/she ate a cricket immediately and with no problems. I’ll see if he/she can catch one on her/his own now.
 

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mantisfan101

mantisfan101

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Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Messages
1,774
The scar on its eye looks like an eyepatch; glad to see that she's still alive and kicking! What do you plan on doing with the nymphs once they hatch?
 
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Drmsbear

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
10
mantisfan101 said:
The scar on its eye looks like an eyepatch; glad to see that she's still alive and kicking! What do you plan on doing with the nymphs once they hatch?
Click to expand...
I already gave them to a buddy of mine. He was sooo excited hear about the sack because he’s got a pest problem in his garden. I read up on hatching and he’s keeping the sack in the fridge until March, most likely. BUT! I asked him to try and save a nymph for me. I’m kind of hooked now. Thanks for checking in!
 
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