# Preparing...(question)



## Domanating (Mar 10, 2012)

So these are my ooths, laid by 3 Mantis Religiosa. As far as i know all ooths should be fertile.
















In 2 months, these ooths should hatch and i plan to keep the 3 groups of newborns separated to avoid interbreeding for the future.

My question here is: despite the loss of mantids in the following days after birth (which will be predictable), do you recomend to separate each ooth in different enclosures?

I'm not sure if many will emerge or very few but i'm afraid of having each enclosure littered with mini-aliens if i'm lucky enough to have all eggs hatching.


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## happy1892 (Mar 10, 2012)

They might be able to get out of those cracks in the lid. My Statilia maculata did that but only a few came out of the cracks.


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## agent A (Mar 10, 2012)

mantis religiosa ooths need a diapause period


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## jimpaunik (Mar 10, 2012)

agent A said:


> mantis religiosa ooths need a diapause period


what does that mean? /swede with language issues


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## happy1892 (Mar 10, 2012)

jimpaunik said:


> what does that mean? /swede with language issues


Diapause means they need time when they stop growing or something like that. It is like hibernation. The cold temperature might make them do that.


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## Domanating (Mar 10, 2012)

They cannot get out because i already had other breedings before with same enclosures. None got out.

The diapause is almost over. As i said they will hatch in 2 months. All these ooths were laid in November/December 2011 and usually hatch in May, sometimes early June.


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## CoolMantid (Mar 10, 2012)

Mist them daily. But only mist the ooths directly once a week

Does that make sense? I could explain it in mores depth if it doesnt


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## happy1892 (Mar 10, 2012)

Link.


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## Domanating (Mar 11, 2012)

Hertarem45 said:


> Mist them daily. But only mist the ooths directly once a week
> 
> Does that make sense? I could explain it in mores depth if it doesnt


Yes i know all of this. But i only mist directly once a week because the room where the ooths are have a constant 70-80% humidity levels due to poor construction and due to the fact that there's a well below it. When hot weather arrives then yes i mist more frequently.

I just would like my question answered so i can prepare a decent amount of enclosures for each ooth (or not, depending on your answer)


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## Rick (Mar 11, 2012)

Yes, put each ooth into it's own container. Those you have in the pics are poor choices. If the mantids cannot get out the fruit flies probably can. Interbreeding really isn't a concern here though so I wouldn't worry about that. That species has a high mortality rate when young so good luck.


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## agent A (Mar 11, 2012)

Rick said:


> That species has a high mortality rate when young so good luck.


you can say that again! last time i hatched an ooth almost half died within the first hour for no apparant reason


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## CoolMantid (Mar 11, 2012)

When my ooth hatched on Friday, I misted the enclosure and they bowed down to drink, so they were really thirsty

I would guess that each ooth will hatch an average of 50 nymphs and i would assume you have about 10-15 ooths. I old buy about 50 cups. I don't think more than 50 would hatch out. Then put 3-5 nymphs in each cup until they cannibalize each other.


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## Domanating (Mar 11, 2012)

Last year, from 25 mantids of a single medium ooth, only 1 survived. So yeah... I need all the luck i can get.

Don't worry about the enclosures. I got good ones for the purpose. Fruit flies aren't the usual food for the young mantids i raise. I usually feed them aphids. There are plenty around where i live.

Thanks for the info and tips. I shall now prepare for heck or possibly heaven, lol


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## MantidLord (Mar 13, 2012)

Keep us updated please. I took some ooths of these guys out the fridge last week, how long would you say the incubation period is? I feed my nymphs aphids when I can get them, so much easier except sometimes they're so sluggish.


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## MantidLord (Mar 13, 2012)

Keep us updated please. I took some ooths of these guys out the fridge last week, how long would you say the incubation period is? I feed my nymphs aphids when I can get them, so much easier except sometimes they're so sluggish.


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## Domanating (Mar 13, 2012)

Do you consider the diapause as part of the incubation period?

I cannot tell when the diapause ends. I just let my ooths be in my "special" cold and moisty room from November/December until they hatch, when there's more sunlight hours, very often during the month of May


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## CoolMantid (Mar 13, 2012)

For a healthier hatch, Diapause should be at least 1 month but prefferably 2. Just think if an ooth was laid in november it is still fall so it should be warmer. Then in December it will get cold until End of Janruary/earlly February. For example. I am putting 3 Brunners ooth in the fridge. It is about 45 degrees there. I put them in there on February 1 and I will take them out April 1.

There should be a diapause because then the ooth might not be able to tell what month it is and might not hatch., Same goes for moth cocoons


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## Domanating (Mar 13, 2012)

The moisture and temperature of the outside weather are almost the same as in the room, except it doesn't rain inside, lol. Pretty much like letting them outside as wild mantis ooths. They will know when to hatch. I just need to worry about misting the ooths when humidity starts dropping. It already did btw. The humidity is now at 65%.


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## MantidLord (Mar 13, 2012)

I consider incubation to start when they start experiencing warmer weather and longer hours of light. I know it's vague but I didn't leave my ooths outside or in my room so the shift from cold to warm was very sudden. But they were in the fridge from late November to last week, so about three months. And I misted the ooths occasionally throughout those three months. I'm wondering because spring break starts next week and I'm debating if I should leave the ooths here or take them with me and try to take care of those little guys on the rode.


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## Domanating (Mar 14, 2012)

So far all the ooths i ever kept hatched in May. I don't use artificial temperature controllers such as fridges or heat lamps or anything, i use the real weather and the nymphs will hatch when they feel it's right.

I don't know how artificial temperature control can change the ooth's hatching time or if it even changes anything.

One thing is certain, Nature is unpredictable. I can't tell you exactly what to do


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## CoolMantid (Mar 14, 2012)

I use a heat lamp after diapause. Sometimes you can get unual weather conditions. Below Freezing in the morning, Cool in the afternoon, Hot during miday, Cool at night ( This is what happened here)

for exotic species this can KILL THEM! :devil:


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## MantidLord (Mar 14, 2012)

The winter here was unusually mild (from what I've heard from the local people) so I didn't want to risk any hatching early on (I know the chances of this are slim but whatever) not to mention I left for California during winter break and kept them in the fridge while I was away. I'm not too concerned, but I know you can definitely manipulate hatching times with artificial temperatures.


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## Domanating (Mar 14, 2012)

I had only 2 weeks of the Winter with somewhat cold weather but it barely passed the below 0 mark. Now we have very dry hot days (24ºC) and very cold nights, (3ºC). This is one large amplitude of temps here. In addition it doesn't rain properly here since December. No Winter, early Summer temperatures, no rain. Nature's drunk.


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## CoolMantid (Mar 14, 2012)

Ya. Last year in California it was raining for weeks at a time and at mammoth they got like 60 something feet of snow. This year they have only gotten 3 ft on a good dayand it rains for like an hour or 2 every month


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