# My latest Orchid ooth



## Termite48 (Aug 30, 2013)

My second to the latest post (yesterday 8-29-13) was concerning the matter of ooth size. Lo and behold, my newly acquired Orchid female laid her 2nd ooth in three weeks plus a day. She has an unlimited number of blow flies and house flies to eat, and an occasional different species of flying insect. This ooth is the smallest from this species that I have seen. Granted I have not seen that many. I would appreciate it if any of you that have bred Orchids would share about this issue. I am concerned until I receive reassurance that it is nothing about which to worry. My closest guess is that this new ooth is 11/16" in length. Her first ooth laid 8-8-13 was 13/16".


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## sally (Aug 30, 2013)

Well good luck with the hatching. I will update on ooth sizes if my girls lay any more....


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## OctoberRainne (Aug 30, 2013)

Hope you both are swimming in babies soon!


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## Toxic (Aug 30, 2013)

Feeding use blue bottles around 10-15 a day more if she will take more but once she stops eating wait until all flies are gone and leave her without food for 2 days. Gut load the flies on a honey water mix 90% water 10% honey.

Cage use something like this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Praying-mantis-Stick-Insect-Leaf-Insect-butterfly-Pop-Up-Cage-/181044305389?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&amp;hash=item2a2714dded

They lay best on flat long surfaces.

Mist once a day and don't over do.

How old is your female?


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## agent A (Aug 30, 2013)

mine laid one that small then died of an infection


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## Termite48 (Aug 30, 2013)

Thanks for the help. Toxic. That is something like my current regimen. I use orange slices placed in a cup for the flies which are wild caught the hours before they are eaten. I will get a small flat board for the laying surface. I do not know the age of the female other than the clue that she has laid three oothecae now.


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## Termite48 (Aug 31, 2013)

I am following up here what began yesterday. I placed the net cage outside this morning as usual when we are having such warm weather. I noticed another small ooth that the female laid as if "on second thought". It is about the same size as her older ooth laid on the 8th of August. Why the female lays two small ooths on successive days, who knows? If you have some thoughts about this, or even better, some experience with this and whether both oothecae hatched, this is good info to post.

Thanks


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## agent A (Aug 31, 2013)

that's what mine did

she wandered my room for 4 days, then laid tiny ooth fragments on the bottom surfaces of my desk and she got lethargic, collapsed, turned brown, and died

I recommend hydrating yours and giving her wide leaves to lay on

it also may be the female, since I had her sister unmated in a bare bones 80oz deli lay a 2.5 inch ooth on the lid of the cup &lt;_&lt;


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## Toxic (Aug 31, 2013)

It is the 2nd part of the ootheca she probs ran out of room or slipped during laying.

Agent A your female what part turned brown first?

If it was the abdomen I'm thinking she may have been abit egg bound. Orchids are prone to this for some reason I think they are very picky on where they lay.

A good trick for a female unwilling to lay is a big net cage with a potted plant inside the cage or a sod of turf.

As said use a plant with large leafs so if she chooses the plant she should have enough room.

Also I wouldn't keep her outside in direct sunlight this may not be helping the matter keep her around 24-25c and in a shaded place.

They small ootheca you have may well hatch so its always worth incubating.

Oh remove the ootheca from her cage I noticed mine would guard for about a week and would be off food and drink for this time but once the ootheca was removed she returned to normal.

These are little things I noticed about my females they may or may not work for you but its worth a try I'd say.

Rich can you put a picture up of your female side on or under her But still keeping the full size of the mantis I've noticed something with my females a little difference just curious if yours follow suit.


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## Termite48 (Aug 31, 2013)

Regarding the outside. I learned my lesson with some hatchlings some time ago about placing them outside in the sun. What may not be direct sun at one part of the day may be direct sun a few hours later. So these days, I place all mantids in the shade or if sunlight does fall on the cage, the mantid has the chance to move into the remaining shade. I will try these tips to help get better results. Thanks!


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## sally (Sep 11, 2013)

here is the 2nd ooth of my mated girl. My unmated girl remains oothless. I have been letting them have a diet of moths every night in addition to the flies and bees.


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## Termite48 (Oct 6, 2013)

Other than the ooth being rather crooked, it is of good size. It should, if fertile, give you a nice hatch count of close to 100.


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## sally (Oct 6, 2013)

Today my mated girl laid her 3rd ooth. My unmated girl only laid a small 1/4 " ooth. She still refuses to mate. I will try her again this week. I will try and remate my mated girl again as well. Same conditions, same food, same males, but what a difference in mantids.


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## lrn_jas (Oct 9, 2013)

If and when those hatch out I would love to be able to get a couple :tt1:


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