# Orchid ootheca incubation period...



## hamsterpig (Jul 10, 2006)

How long does it take for an orchid mantis ooth to hatch? Is there a way to delay this without affecting the integrity of the ooth (e.g no fridge... etc). Also what is the average number of nymphs in one average sized ooth.

Your help is very much appreciated!

Many thanks, Hamsterpig


----------



## yen_saw (Jul 10, 2006)

42-46 days. Putting the ooth in the fridge will not delay hatching but spoil the ooth as this is a tropical species.

Hatching rate is very much depends on ootheca size. Average is 50-60 nymphs, large ooth may produce 100 nymphs.


----------



## hamsterpig (Jul 11, 2006)

Thanks for your info, really useful! But is there actually a way to delay hatching the ooth? Do you have much experience with new orchid hatchings? How many boxes of fruit fly do I need to maintain the constant turnover (flies food: new fruit fly ratio) if say for 100 mantids?

Thanks again for all your advices,

Hamsterpig


----------



## robo mantis (Jul 11, 2006)

buy a lot of fruitflies you will need all you can get


----------



## yen_saw (Jul 11, 2006)

Hamsterpig, i am not aware of any method to delay hatching of an orchid mantis or any tropical mantis ootheca. I would imagine lowering the temperature (not drastically) may work but it may have bad effect on the nymphs development inside the eggs. Although I have never tried it.

I have no idea how many fruit flies are there in a "box" of fruit flies. I use a fruit flies culture in a 32oz plastic container that produced thousands of flies and last about 3-4 weeks. As for the amount of food for 100 nymphs orchid hatchlings, you can feed them once every otherday but make sure you throw in plenty of flies. The way i do is dumped in some fruit flies and after about 10 minutes, if the number of fruit flies is only about 20% or less of the number of hatchling, i will add some more, and will stop only when i see around 50%. This is based on a net cage of 1 cubic feet for hundred (or more) hatchling.


----------

