# Mating a pair of orchid mantis



## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

Okay, so I'm trying to have my two orchids mate. I put the male on top of the female last night and now he's still on top of her. That's 26 hours already. Anyway, how long is he supposed to stay on top of her?

Also, I don't know if the male has problems mating. His abdomen/tail doesn't seem to be long enough to reach and connect to the tip of the female's abdomen tip. I'll show some pictures later, but in the mean time, some answers will be great.


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## Rick (Jun 2, 2007)

Orchids stay connected for a long time. The male is capable of mating with her no problem even though it doesnt seem like it. Did you actually see them mate?


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## Asa (Jun 2, 2007)

I've never seen an orchid to take that long to mate. I'd need pictures though.


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## Rick (Jun 2, 2007)

> I've never seen an orchid to take that long to mate. I'd need pictures though.


I have.


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## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

> Orchids stay connected for a long time. The male is capable of mating with her no problem even though it doesnt seem like it. Did you actually see them mate?


What do you mean? I have been watching the male on top of the female's back tapping her wings with his arms and trying to connect. By the way, he's still on top of her as I type (35 hours).


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## Rick (Jun 2, 2007)

> > Orchids stay connected for a long time. The male is capable of mating with her no problem even though it doesnt seem like it. Did you actually see them mate?
> 
> 
> What do you mean? I have been watching the male on top of the female's back tapping her wings with his arms and trying to connect. By the way, he's still on top of her as I type (35 hours).


Did you see their abdomens connect and join? If not they did not actually mate. It sounds like he is immature and you should take him off and try in a week.


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## Asa (Jun 2, 2007)

> > I've never seen an orchid to take that long to mate. I'd need pictures though.
> 
> 
> I have.


Longest I ever saw was 15-17 hours. However he wasn't connected part of it.


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## Rick (Jun 2, 2007)

> > > I've never seen an orchid to take that long to mate. I'd need pictures though.
> >
> >
> > I have.
> ...


Well that's what I mean't. He was on her back for a long time. Actual mating though was also for a very long time.


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## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

> > > Orchids stay connected for a long time. The male is capable of mating with her no problem even though it doesnt seem like it. Did you actually see them mate?
> >
> >
> > What do you mean? I have been watching the male on top of the female's back tapping her wings with his arms and trying to connect. By the way, he's still on top of her as I type (35 hours).
> ...


I watched for hours, but I didn't see the connection. However, I don't know what could have happened while I was not there to watch. The male molted to adult on April 24... is that long enough ago?


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## Rick (Jun 2, 2007)

> > > > Orchids stay connected for a long time. The male is capable of mating with her no problem even though it doesnt seem like it. Did you actually see them mate?
> > >
> > >
> > > What do you mean? I have been watching the male on top of the female's back tapping her wings with his arms and trying to connect. By the way, he's still on top of her as I type (35 hours).
> ...


April? Yeah thats enough time. I would mate them again and make sure you see them actually connect. Otherwise you don't know if they mated for sure.


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## OGIGA (Jun 3, 2007)

Okay, here are the pictures that I said I'd post.

I just put him on. It's quite the wrong way...












Looks like he figured out something was wrong











With a little help, he's on the way he should be






He's tapping his arms on her back. I think it's some kind of signal.






Trying to connect
















Well, the orchid female was very vicious today. She keeps trying to attack my hand when I move it by. Therefore, I went to PetCo and got her a goldfish for her to let out her anger. Unfortunately, I wasn't home, but here's what I found when I got back.






Oh, and the male was already off of her. I found him too so he's safe and sound.


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## Rick (Jun 3, 2007)

Looks like they mated. Males of many kinds of mantids jump on the female backwards and eventually turn around. It's probably to prevent her from getting to his head.


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## Asa (Jun 3, 2007)

One of mine got stuck underneath the female. :lol:


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## OGIGA (Jun 4, 2007)

I'm thinking about mating them again, just in case. I especially want the breeders' opinions.

Also, is there a recommended time frame between matings?


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## yen_saw (Jun 4, 2007)

I am afraid you just have to keep trying, he will get it right eventually, hopefully before he becomes the meal for the female. I will wait for couple of days before re-mating the pair. If the male is not ready, he will fly away.


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## OGIGA (Jun 4, 2007)

Okay. Should I do something about the female? She's always ready to attack my hand even though I don't think she's hungry. Maybe it's a habit because I used to hand feed her so maybe she expects food when she sees my hand. She even tries to attack me while mating.


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## colddigger (Jun 4, 2007)

gut load her

make her a fatty

the guy'll dig it

then you'll get your mantis babies


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## Asa (Jun 4, 2007)

> gut load hermake her a fatty
> 
> the guy'll dig it
> 
> then you'll get your mantis babies


 :lol:


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## OGIGA (Jun 4, 2007)

Oh yeah, how much do you [anybody] think she can still eat?


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## Asa (Jun 4, 2007)

She looks full enough to me.


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## jplelito (Jun 4, 2007)

Feeding: just give them as many flies/moths/dragonflies/etc. as they can handle.. if there is still any live food left in the cage after an hour, then she is well fed enough! I have mated all mine on the day they became two weeks as adults (the males are anywhere from 3-5 weeks old - it seems in my experience the male is the key, the older the better, females will mate earlier than two weeks even).

These aren't the greatest pics, had to shoot them on the fly - the male wasted no time in getting on my second-to-last unmated female this morning.












The male will remain on the female a long, long time - sometimes days, and one of my males actually dropped off, dead, after five days. He didn't eat and wouldn't even drink drops of honey stuck to his claws. Poor fellow.. but that's normal for them maybe?

At any rate the male will drum the female's wings with his forelegs and even a female who is actively eating other stuff doesn't seem to pose any threat to the male - until he jumps off her back. The drumming seems to me to be something saying 'I am still here, don't eat me!' but once she doesn't get that stimulus, he is fair game! Get the male out of the cage the instant he leaves her - but in the meantime, he may remate her up to four times in a day or two, so I would let him stay on as long as he chooses to - maybe better ensures fertilization.


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## OGIGA (Jun 5, 2007)

Very interesting. Thanks for all the advice. I hope I can mate them again before my male dies... and before my female lays the long awaited ooth.


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## OGIGA (Jun 8, 2007)

Awesome. I had them mate again and this time I could see the connection.






She pooped all over him too.


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## OGIGA (Jun 8, 2007)

I really want to know, how long after becoming adult should I expect an ootheca?


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## robo mantis (Jun 10, 2007)

about 2 weeks


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## OGIGA (Jun 10, 2007)

Are you serious? My first adult mantis (not orchid) is laying her first ootheca right now (yes, at this moment) and she became an adult on April 19. That's almost two months... I hope I didn't do something wrong.

My orchid has been an adult since May 10 and still no ootheca.


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