# Worked like a charm..



## Butterfly (Sep 13, 2007)

So I have a very nifty tank thats half glass half screened and it's too big for my room so I put a plant in it and put one of my Largest females in it the other day. She is huuuuuge people, like I overfed her but it's been that way for a week or more now so I think shes just fat with eggs.

So to get to the point. I have no males and I'd heard about the females having pheramones that will attract males so I put her in the outside tank a couple days ago.

Well it worked like a charm and tonight I found 2 males chilling on the top of the cage at seperate times. I caught them both but they havent been introduced to her yet becauise Im not sure if theyre the right species.

So the question of the day folks is this... Is it possible for a male mantis to be attracted to a female of a different species??

Your help is greatly appreciated and anticipated as I cant wait to get her mated.

:lol:


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## captainmerkin (Sep 13, 2007)

I would be suprised if they were from another species and still investigated the females tank..

Thats cool though


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## Orin (Sep 13, 2007)

> So the question of the day folks is this... Is it possible for a male mantis to be attracted to a female of a different species??


Pheromones are very specific. Sight cues don't take over till they are within a few feet.


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## Butterfly (Sep 13, 2007)

Thanks guys!!

I'll get the girls some crickets today so they dont try and eat their poor little free mantid men and I'll give it a shot.

I guess I should try and get some pics up too lol.


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## Asa (Sep 13, 2007)

Whoa! cool!


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## Butterfly (Sep 13, 2007)

omg omg, It worked!!

Ok so only with one female and one of the males so far but I put them all in tanks paired up and the 2 I wasnt rooting for are the ones that are now mating! He jumped on and held onto her back for quite a while, when I came back in from the pool I just noticed they were attached where they should be and he has made contact!!

YAAAAY!!

Now I just hope the one fattie female I have will mate with the her male, or I guess if the other one doesnt eat him I can put him in with her in a day or so. Lucky little guys, lol.

Also the Huge European I found a few weeks ago wasnt a male afterall, I checked on it today and noticed it was very skinny compared to the last time, and lo and behold there was a big ole ooth in her tank! I just hope this one hatches. The European I caught last year laid 5 or so infertile ooths. And to think I thought she was a boy!

Now it makes me wonder if my Sulcata Tortoise Silent Bob is going to end up being a girl. You cant ID them for a few years and he just had his 1st birthday. I guess time will tell on that one, lol.


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## Andrew (Sep 13, 2007)

Cool...I've actually got a female outside for the same purpose right now.


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## Butterfly (Sep 14, 2007)

Ok so Im a bit saddend but still stoked about it all happening.

My Bg Fat female went into threat pose and her male didnt really seem interested once he met her lol. So he got set free.

The other female was indifferent and he jumped on within a few minutes, Id even fed her 3 crickets right before. They were at it for like 8 or more hours lol or I guess technically he was. But in the end she took off his head! I had just checked them to see if he was still connected and noticed he wasnt but neither was his head! :shock:

So my big fat green Stegmomantis isnt mated but the skinny one is....

Eh I figure at least I got one of them mated and I can always find more males now that I know how, hehe.

One last thing!! His little body is still holding on! Not attached at the end just his arms still gripping her, it will drop off tonight or tomorrow wont it?


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## Asa (Sep 14, 2007)

The male will continue to copulate until completly eaten. At least in Yen's case :lol:


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## Precious (Sep 14, 2007)

Ok, first Butterfly, LOL "Silent Bob"! Love that.

Second, my understanding is that copulatory inhibition is removed (it is in the brain) when the head goes. So in God's great plan, when mantid man loses his head - he wants to get it on big time, with anything. One time a headless male sat on the wall of his enclosure for at least a full 24 hours before my brave 12 yr old son decided to remove him for the sake of us ladies. The mantid took off up my son's arm toward his head at break-neck (no pun) speed and my son ran screaming like a girl outside! We finally put the thing in the freezer. I researched it so we could all recover from the flippin' SHOCK! :shock:


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## joossa (Sep 14, 2007)

> Ok, first Butterfly, LOL "Silent Bob"! Love that.Second, my understanding is that copulatory inhibition is removed (it is in the brain) when the head goes. So in God's great plan, when mantid man loses his head - he wants to get it on big time, with anything. One time a headless male sat on the wall of his enclosure for at least a full 24 hours before my brave 12 yr old son decided to remove him for the sake of us ladies. The mantid took off up my son's arm toward his head at break-neck (no pun) speed and my son ran screaming like a girl outside! We finally put the thing in the freezer. I researched it so we could all recover from the flippin' SHOCK! :shock:


HA! LOL!


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 14, 2007)

> Ok, first Butterfly, LOL "Silent Bob"! Love that.Second, my understanding is that copulatory inhibition is removed (it is in the brain) when the head goes. So in God's great plan, when mantid man loses his head - he wants to get it on big time, with anything. One time a headless male sat on the wall of his enclosure for at least a full 24 hours before my brave 12 yr old son decided to remove him for the sake of us ladies. The mantid took off up my son's arm toward his head at break-neck (no pun) speed and my son ran screaming like a girl outside! We finally put the thing in the freezer. I researched it so we could all recover from the flippin' SHOCK! :shock:


God that was funny, I am eating a salad and it is falling out of my mouth, cause I am laughing out loud. ha ha ha ha it is still funny cant stop laughing. :lol: :lol:


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## OGIGA (Sep 14, 2007)

But... insects don't have a central nervous system (aka brain). It's a nerve network (called a ganglia).


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## Precious (Sep 14, 2007)

Yeah, ganglia is nerve, we have ganglia - but you're right, of course, theirs doesn't operate like ours. Good thing, too.


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