# what the hay...



## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

what am I doing wrong with the giant asians they are both of age he is on her back but they dont connect... I have put them both now in the same cage as he's on her back not connected but doesnt want to come off WHAT DO I DO with them to get them to mate I'm frustrated LOL


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## ismart (Oct 11, 2012)

Leave him on her back, and offer her some food. This will help trigger a response from the male to mate.


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

she has a cricket now and he's trying just not connecting yet


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## angelofdeathzz (Oct 11, 2012)

Sometimes the male gets overloaded with pheromone's the female has been releasing, so I put the male far away in a different part of the house for 2-3 days then reintroduce them with the male pre-heated a bit warmer than the female with good results. It may be worth a try for you?


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

good idea will try that if they dont mate today

actually I have males for her so they will both get moved


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## ismart (Oct 11, 2012)

Also while she is chowing down lightly blow on them. This also triggers the males to make a move.


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

yea I tried all that and tried 2 males no luck I have moved the males to a different room


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## Mime454 (Oct 11, 2012)

Is your female really fat? Maybe she's about to lay an ootheca?


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## JSaff86 (Oct 11, 2012)

At first i had a hard time getting my chinese to mate but i figured out a good trick myself. Just put the male about 3 to 4 inches away from the female. the male has to be positioned facing the female from the side or back. On a flat surface use a small stick and gently prod or poke at the female to move this is the key she must be moving for the male to take notice. If the male is focused on your movements it might make it abit but once his little head focuses on the females movement you pretty much got it. i tried the blowing method and it can work but alot of times it just makes the male scramble around and away from the female.


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

so you tell me how fat does she look

http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj541/sueb4653/?action=view&amp;current=DSCN0957.mp4


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## angelofdeathzz (Oct 11, 2012)

Fat enough to make some babies, lol. Has she been calling?


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

I don't know I have been at work the last few days 12 hr shifts


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## Precarious (Oct 11, 2012)

Many large species have a hard time connecting unless they are hanging upside down. The female's abdomen gets too heavy and hangs too low for the male to comfortably reach. Since he is trying and not connecting that's what it sounds like to me. Once he mounts move the female to a vertical or upside down position and I'll bet he hooks right up. You can nudge her onto a branch, top of a cage or whatever.


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## Mime454 (Oct 11, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Many large species have a hard time connecting unless they are hanging upside down. The female's abdomen gets too heavy and hangs too low for the male to comfortably reach. Since he is trying and not connecting that's what it sounds like to me. Once he mounts move the female to a vertical or upside down position and I'll bet he hooks right up. You can nudge her onto a branch, top of a cage or whatever.
> 
> You can see that was the case in this video. Once the female was on my hand upside down the male immediately connected.


She had them upside down in the video. I like that video and music though.


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## angelofdeathzz (Oct 11, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> She had them upside down in the video. I like that video and music though.


He must of missed it, or his video's are so good he can't look at anyone else's? It's called video tunnel vision and afflicts 1 out of 4 photographers. :lol:


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## Precarious (Oct 11, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> She had them upside down in the video. I like that video and music though.


Oh, duh... I totally missed that link. I was just going by her initial comment. Removed.


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## Mime454 (Oct 11, 2012)

Precarious said:


> Oh, duh... I totally missed that link. I was just going by her initial comment. Removed.


Just come to her house with your camera. They'd be happy to get it on for you!


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## happy1892 (Oct 11, 2012)

He does look like he is trying to connect in the video. Maybe jerking on his wings might help? I have tried it one time with a Chinese Mantis male and he got excited, flickered his wings a lot and probably thought the female was trying to eat him and he tried to connect harder it seemed like to me.


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## sueb4653 (Oct 11, 2012)

he was definitly moving his abd towards hers just never connected, so as angelofdeathzz suggested I have moved the males to another room for a few days and then we will see what happens.


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## JSaff86 (Oct 12, 2012)

_it looks like he's just chillin on her back and showing no interest to me. When the male's make a mating attemt they usually lock there raptors together just above the wings and the beggining of the thorax. Im kinda thinking this wasnt a mating attempt just a place to climb on. I would try it again just make sure the female is walking or in motion. If the female is just sitting there not moving the male might just be using her as a stepping stone lol. She must be in motion to catch his interest or he will never make an attempt. The first time i tried getting my male to mate with my female she just sat still and the male climbed on her back and i thought they would mate. Instead the male just sat there for few seconds then climbed right on her face and she grabbed them and i had to intervene quick lol!_

_The male will never climb on when making an attempt either he will jump or fly in a very rapid motion._


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## sueb4653 (Oct 12, 2012)

ok this is good to know


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## happy1892 (Oct 12, 2012)

JSaff86 said:


> _it looks like he's just chillin on her back and showing no interest to me. When the male's make a mating attemt they usually lock there raptors together just above the wings and the beggining of the thorax. Im kinda thinking this wasnt a mating attempt just a place to climb on. I would try it again just make sure the female is walking or in motion. If the female is just sitting there not moving the male might just be using her as a stepping stone lol. She must be in motion to catch his interest or he will never make an attempt. The first time i tried getting my male to mate with my female she just sat still and the male climbed on her back and i thought they would mate. Instead the male just sat there for few seconds then climbed right on her face and she grabbed them and i had to intervene quick lol!_
> 
> _The male will never climb on when making an attempt either he will jump or fly in a very rapid motion._


Certainly he was trying to mate. They often do just pinch and climb onto the female (It has with one time with Blue Flash and four times with Chinese Mantids and two times with Carolina Mantids with me). But the Pseudoharpax virescens I had did what you said was the way they do it when they try to get on the female to mate. I think it is different with each species.


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## hopefoot (Oct 12, 2012)

Precarious - That video is awesome! What kind of camera are you using?


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## JSaff86 (Oct 13, 2012)

happy1892 said:


> Certainly he was trying to mate. They often do just pinch and climb onto the female (It has with one time with Blue Flash and four times with Chinese Mantids and two times with Carolina Mantids with me). But the Pseudoharpax virescens I had did what you said was the way they do it when they try to get on the female to mate. I think it is different with each species.


 it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.


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## sueb4653 (Oct 13, 2012)

JSaff86 said:


> it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.


the video didnot show him moving his abd towards hers but he definitly did


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## happy1892 (Oct 14, 2012)

JSaff86 said:


> it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.


Yes, you are right about that but the way they move is very different from when they are trying to climb higher. The male just has to know the female is there and the only I have seen the male notice the female was when she moved. I guess they must have smelled the pheromones. When a male tries to mate with a female he first grabs onto her with a sudden act (I have had males look like they were striking at the female to eat her then slowly crawl to the right position after he has a grip (on her wings, abdomen and they pinch hard). I have had males fly right onto the female pretty accurately like what you said happened to you each time. I have had males move their antena a lot while trying to connect and his thorax bent down but when the male is just crawling over the female trying the go higher he lifts his head and then the female eats him.....


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## OctoberRainne (Oct 14, 2012)

With my asians I had to keep resetting the male,cuz he would wander away from her.If he wants it tho,once he feels like hes got a good approach angle or direction,I use from behind so I can watch the female and make sure she doesn't reach round and grab him,he should leap onto her,once hes clamped on as long as he doesn't move off her midsection he should eventually slide into place and reach around to her,if you can't get him on her,then I say try to move him so he is a little ways behind her or diagonal with her rear so he feels like he can read her,or try to place him on her,but you have to make sure he really doesn't get grabbed and the female is busy eating or content for that method.I used the screen lid to a giant lizard cage for that species so both were able to hang upside down,that seems to work,it did take us trying twice though to get the male to stay on her,probably just re-itterating what others have said in my own way lol but hope that helps any,I also use diagonal placed clamped logs for mating so the male can climb around it and find where he wants to be in relation to her,and that way they get that upsidedown or vertical feel as well if they choose to.


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## happy1892 (Oct 14, 2012)

OctoberRainne said:


> With my asians I had to keep resetting the male,cuz he would wander away from her.If he wants it tho,once he feels like hes got a good approach angle or direction,


I think he just did not notice her and if he saw her and was right in front of her I think he might have jumped on her anyway but still it does seem to matter to the male if she is facing him or facing away from him.


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