Mantis Lovers

[Thurge]

How would a mantis reocver from this kind of damage. Obviously in the case of the N. bredini it would have to regrow its appendage, but what about in the case of hyperextensions. Would the muscles reattach and recover or would the mantis have to remove the arm and regrow it? I know some mantis keepers have reported seeing their mantis litterally ripping one or both appendages off. Could this be a reason they are doing this?

 

[Gonodactylus]

If it is just a ripped apodeme, they do not appear to regain function until a molt. Appendages seem to be ripped off if there is major physical damage with a loss of segments, a failed molt with the new appendage stuck in the old cuticle, or physiological damage to the musculature of the appendage. Often heat, cold, low oxygen, or poisioning (ammonia, solvents, etc.) will cause the muscles of the merus to be damaged and the appendage "springs" open. In other words, the propodus is fully extended. If the animal does not die, it will often rip off the rapts. I have often thought that this pathology may be key to understanding how the appendage works, but we haven't gotten around to studying it except to identify the metabolic pathway which uses arginine phosphate.

Roy