# how do you tell if the ootheca is fertile



## dakota (Jan 17, 2005)

i've got 5 carolina mantid ootheca and don't know if their fertile or not they just keep geting bigger and bigger i don't know wether or not the female i caught had al ready mated she had layed 5 ootheca while in my care and then she died


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## Jesse (Jan 17, 2005)

There is no surefire way to tell for sure if an ooth is fertile. If the ooths are very malformed and/or irregular shaped for the particular species then chances are it is infertile, but more often than not infertile ooths look just like fertile ones.


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## Rick (Jan 17, 2005)

Infertile ooths and fertile ooths look the same.


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## shadownet (Mar 10, 2005)

It's amazing how many of them mate in the wild before we catch them..

I'd say fertile..Just a guess,There's no way to tell..Just wait is all you can do..


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## dakota (Mar 10, 2005)

thanks shadow 8)

dakota


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## Chris Dickie (Mar 10, 2005)

I would agree with shadownet, its most likely its fertile if its WC as an adult female,though no promises

no way of telling if it is though with out cutting into the ooth which can kill some eggs


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## Andrew (Mar 10, 2005)

I experimented with this with an H. Patellifera ooth. I sliced just barely enough off of the ooth to see if there was anything developing, and I did find nymphs inside. To seal it back up, I used glue. I put a little bit of hot glue where I wanted to put the ooth, waited until the glue was cool but still sticky, and stuck it on there. Except for about 5 nymphs, the whole ooth hatched. You just have to make sure the the glue completely seals up the ooth, so that it doesnt dry out.

Im not saying that this will work with every species, but it can work with H. Patellifera.

Thanks,

Andrew


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## Rick (Mar 10, 2005)

The ooth doesn't have to be "sealed" back up. Most of it should still hatch. The mantids nearest the open part will probably die but the rest should still hatch.


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## Ian (Mar 11, 2005)

Hey, Andrew, I have to say, stitching is much more environmentally friendly than glue!!!  

Cheers,

Ian


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## Chris Dickie (Mar 11, 2005)

fair enough environmentally friendly(Im not going to argue about "environmentally friendly stuff, as frankly I can't be bothered at the moment, lol) but it can be very impractical to stitch some oothecae because of the size and because of the way the oothecae is made(eg if its foamy or spongey etc) and this varies from species to species. I have never seen a carolina mantis oothecae so I don't know about them in particular but in some cases it is much easier and safer to use glue. Be carefull what kind of glue you use though as I think some can damage the oothecae but Im not 100% sure


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## Ian (Mar 11, 2005)

Yeah, okay chris, you seem to have something against me?


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## Chris Dickie (Mar 11, 2005)

lol, Ian I guess you say this because I have posted things disccussing things you have said(perhaps I was verging on arguing although I never meant to), I have only done this because I feel people have a right to all possible information

should I not have explained for people who may not know that using a needle and thread is not practical for all species, or should I have let people stuggle and perhaps kill eggs in small oothecae

I am not trying to cause offense but I do not see why I cannot post more information about something, is there any reason Ian?


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## Ian (Mar 12, 2005)

Yeah, whatever chris.


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