Premature Nymphs

[cloud jaguar]

I had 2 oothecae hatch - one incubated for 2 months and the other for 1 month. Although the ooths came from different mothers, it was odd to me that the nymphs from the first were born large and robust and green, while the ooths from the second ooth were smaller, started camo then turned green, didn't move around much - after the second set of nymphs was 2 weeks old they were almost identical to the earlier hatched ones. Could they have been premature or something?

~Arkanis

 

[Rick]

When you say incubated for one month do you mean it hatched one month after being laid? If so I find that hard to believe. Or are these ooths you found outside?

 

[cloud jaguar]

Hatched c1 month after being laid indoors - misted daily and kept atop tv cable box. Like i said, i found it interesting that the nymphs seemed oddly small and weaker than those of the ooth which took 2 months to hatch.

 

[femmephyllocrania]

Hatched c1 month after being laid indoors - misted daily and kept atop tv cable box. Like i said, i found it interesting that the nymphs seemed oddly small and weaker than those of the ooth which took 2 months to hatch.

It sounds like you've answered your own question and that they were, indeed, hatched prematurely. It would be interesting to see, however, if the same thing happens with the offspring of any of the nymphs from the premature ooth. I'd suggest doing some experiments (i.e. perhaps mating some from the second ooth with others from the second ooth, some from the first ooth with others from the first ooth and, if the timing works out, some from the first with some from the second). You could try to determine if there's some genetic cause for the premature hatching. Were the conditions of the both the ooths the same while incubating? Please update if you decide to look into this more, it could be really interesting.