# Orchid mantis pairing trouble



## gravewurm88 (Mar 30, 2021)

Man I'm hoping someone can help me out either answer my questions or sell me one but I have a few orchids and one just molted and got wings it's obviously a male but I've kept record of the molts and my females are ahead of him by one molt and they still.domt have their wings yet or hit their final molt. Is this normal? Does the male have another molt to go through? I got screwed on this group by mantis kingdom but that a whole other story. I'm hoping the male needs another molt to hit adulthood and my females should be getting close to molting their final but if not I dont know what I'll do can anyone give me ideas.


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 30, 2021)

Males molt before females. We try to keep them cooler and feed less to keep them alive till the females molt. Male is adult and will not molt again. Other than that not much you can do but pray he lives long enough to mate. Females are usually ready to make a good month or more after being adult. Hope this helps. Where are you located?


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## gravewurm88 (Mar 30, 2021)

I'm in san Antonio. It's just messed up that this company sold me these as same age and they ain't. I slowed him down and he's a molt behind the females with me pisses me off bad because I lost one first shipment he credited me and I lost another second time and now he don't reply to me at all. Been months. So I guess I just got f***ed. Good deal, I got money to piss away on watching these grow. 




thats photos of them


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## hysteresis (Mar 30, 2021)

gravewurm88 said:


> Man I'm hoping someone can help me out either answer my questions or sell me one but I have a few orchids and one just molted and got wings it's obviously a male but I've kept record of the molts and my females are ahead of him by one molt and they still.domt have their wings yet or hit their final molt. Is this normal? Does the male have another molt to go through? I got screwed on this group by mantis kingdom but that a whole other story. I'm hoping the male needs another molt to hit adulthood and my females should be getting close to molting their final but if not I dont know what I'll do can anyone give me ideas.


DeShawn is top shelf and didnt screw you.

Orchid males live 4+ months. Just keep them low 70s and feed a fly every 4 or 5 dahs. Let your female catch up.

Good luck.


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## lectricblueyes (Mar 31, 2021)

Hmmm... same age doesn't mean they molt at the same time. Matter of fact, if the male molts to adult before the female.. that's absolutely normal.  Many species the female doesn't hit adulthood until 8i and the male at 7i.  I wouldn't give up so quickly.  The males might be around long enough to mate with the female.  Slow down feeding the male and lower the temps for the male slightly.  Increase your feeding of the female, and raise her temps slightly.  Mantids can't self-regulate temps and an increase in heat will speed up their metabolism.  Decrease in temps slows down their metabolism.  I doubt DeShawn did anything wrong.  He's been doing this a VERY long time and he's very well respected in the hobby.


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## gravewurm88 (Apr 1, 2021)

Oh awesome that's good to hear. I got a little nymph l3 or l4 too that I'm trying to get there as well looking.ti be male also hopefully. First time trying to breed mantids. Have owned every reptile and amphibian possible pretty much hoping to not have trouble. But I do have an idolo female that's almost an adult too I'd like to do something with or let someone use her.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 6, 2021)

The mantis probably came for the same hatch and that would mean he had no way to send different ages. I have males on my site too.


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