# Deroplatys lobata hatch



## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

A few on the forum told me it was unlikely this ooth would hatch. Someone forgot to tell the nymphs!

Looks like well over 100. Unfortunately I wasn't home to document the event.  
















Now we'll see if the even bigger ooth next to it hatches! Unless someone buys it first.


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## Mime454 (Jan 15, 2013)

The white remnants in the ooth, is at like the exuviae from the molts? I've always assumed so. Does anyone know what the mantids look like inside the ooth and how big they are right before they hatch? I'm always amazed that so many can fit in a tiny ooth.

I'm still wondering about the string they hang from though. Does the mother make that? Or do the nymphs?

I love the look of this species. Not so big on their personalities or intelligence though.


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## D_Hemptress (Jan 15, 2013)

wow, there are so many!!


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## Bug Trader (Jan 15, 2013)

Congrats on the hatch, I have wondered myself how they look and what size they are prehatch based on nymph count vs space.


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## aNisip (Jan 15, 2013)

Congrats on the hatch! That ooth looks fine, I dont see why it wouldn't hatch...lucky you got a mating out of your male...  (hint:anybody have one or two, PM me plz! ) Those nymphs look so adorable  

All the best,

Andrew


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

Mime454 said:


> The white remnants in the ooth, is at like the exuviae from the molts? I've always assumed so. Does anyone know what the mantids look like inside the ooth and how big they are right before they hatch? I'm always amazed that so many can fit in a tiny ooth.
> 
> I'm still wondering about the string they hang from though. Does the mother make that? Or do the nymphs?
> 
> I love the look of this species. Not so big on their personalities or intelligence though.





Bug Trader said:


> Congrats on the hatch, I have wondered myself how they look and what size they are prehatch based on nymph count vs space.


The things attached to the ooth are the egg casing they hatch out of. The nymphs are in the case as they push through the ooth, then they split out the back of it just as they do during later molts. Once out they expand to about double the size they were compressed to while inside the egg case. The string is a part of the egg case which is why they remain attached after the nymph escapes them. It's quite a feat! Very similar to Houdini's escape from a straight jacket while hanging upside down.






In many species I see excess fluids stored in the head. This would create a hard pouch used to push through the ooth material, then once out of the egg case the fluid is distributed to expand the body to its new shape and size. While in the egg case the limbs are actually tubular. It's only once out and the fluid distributed they assume the shapes we are more familiar with.

You can get a pretty good look at the process in this series of photos.

Ghost Mantis Hatch (in great detail)



AndrewNisip said:


> lucky you got a mating out of your male...


I had a single male I used to mate 2 females. Didn't experience any aggression from the females. He's still alive after 4.5 months. Was trying to get him to mate last night but he showed no interest.


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## sally (Jan 15, 2013)

as always wonderful pictures.


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## SilentDeviL (Jan 15, 2013)

Congratz that's a lot of babies...


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## Paradoxica (Jan 15, 2013)

How communal are these guys?


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

Paradoxica said:


> How communal are these guys?


This is my first hatch but the nymphs I raised were very calm and did well together up until about L4 when I separated them. Some keep them together until pre-sub.


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## AxolotlsAreCoolToo (Jan 15, 2013)

got any breeding tips for a noob?


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## Mime454 (Jan 15, 2013)

AxolotlsAreCoolToo said:


> got any breeding tips for a noob?


Just relax and don't make it more than it is.

More seriously, I've seen others recommend raising temperatures, separating the male from the female for a few days before the mating and fasting the male if he is too fat.


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

AxolotlsAreCoolToo said:


> got any breeding tips for a noob?





Mime454 said:


> More seriously, I've seen others recommend raising temperatures, separating the male from the female for a few days before the mating and fasting the male if he is too fat.


I don't do anything special. No heat or anything else. But I don't rush the breeding. Wait till the female is very plump. That may take a month of feeding. Then I oversee the whole process. I don't just throw them in a cage together. I put the female on a vertical surface. Take the male on my hand right up to her rear. Some species you will see the antennae perk up and point straight when he catches her pheromones. Not the case with this species. Put the male behind her and feed her. If the male wanders keep putting him behind her. Depending on the species, sometime I even put him right on her back.


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## agent A (Jan 15, 2013)

Well done man :clap: 

I remember when mine hatched i thought there were infinite babies but there were only 70 or so

Hopefully ax and i can make our adults breed


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## Mime454 (Jan 15, 2013)

^^^ I always just put the male on the female's back too, but I haven't mated any cryptic looking species. I'm always afraid to recommend it because it sounds kinda silly. Glad that it works for this species too.


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

Mime454 said:


> ^^^ I always just put the male on the female's back too, but I haven't mated any cryptic looking species. I'm always afraid to recommend it because it sounds kinda silly. Glad that it works for this species too.


Hasn't worked to stimulate breeding in this species. They're a little more tricky than that, but I have tried.


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## agent A (Jan 15, 2013)

Does putting them in really wet leaf litter and blowing a fan over them help? Someone once said somewhere air movement helps the males


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## ShieldMantid1997 (Jan 15, 2013)

I just gentley blow on the males back or antennae, it makes them more alert i think.


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

agent A said:


> Does putting them in really wet leaf litter and blowing a fan over them help? Someone once said somewhere air movement helps the males


Yes! Also pushing up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right on an Xbox controller while wearing a bra on your head and sticking a fork in a toaster. Works every time!


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## brancsikia339 (Jan 15, 2013)

Nice! Lobatas are awesome!!


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## agent A (Jan 15, 2013)

Precarious said:


> Yes! Also pushing up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right on an Xbox controller while wearing a bra on your head and sticking a fork in a toaster. Works every time!
> 
> [img=[URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6C1hZS1cuaA/UFocZV08iII/AAAAAAAABLQ/eMsVoO_Ly_4/s1600/Weird_Science1.jpg%5D%5B/quote%5D"]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6C1hZS1cuaA/UFocZV08iII/AAAAAAAABLQ/eMsVoO_Ly_4/s1600/Weird_Science1.jpg][/URL]


Well my neighbor has an xbox and ax has lobatas and my mom and sis have bras on the (drying) racks so i'm set :lol:


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## gripen (Jan 15, 2013)

Nice job.


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## AxolotlsAreCoolToo (Jan 15, 2013)

Precarious said:


> I don't do anything special. No heat or anything else. But I don't rush the breeding. Wait till the female is very plump. That may take a month of feeding. Then I oversee the whole process. I don't just throw them in a cage together. I put the female on a vertical surface. Take the male on my hand right up to her rear. Some species you will see the antennae perk up and point straight when he catches her pheromones. Not the case with this species. Put the male behind her and feed her. If the male wanders keep putting him behind her. Depending on the species, sometime I even put him right on her back.


i will deff take my time with the whole process thank you


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## twolfe (Jan 15, 2013)

Wow! Congratulations.... That's a lot of babies, and they look big. I hope you plan to continue with this species.


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## Precarious (Jan 15, 2013)

Tammy Wolfe said:


> Wow! Congratulations.... That's a lot of babies, and they look big. I hope you plan to continue with this species.


Thanks! They are big. Just about as big as Idolo nymphs. I'll sell some off at L1 since they look so hardy. Already over 60 sold! Have 2 mated females so should be more to go around.


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## gripen (Jan 15, 2013)

Precarious said:


> Thanks! They are big. Just about as big as Idolo nymphs. I'll sell some off at L1 since they look so hardy. Already over 60 sold! Have 2 mated females so should be more to go around.


Don't sell em all! Keep some for yourself!


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## angelofdeathzz (Jan 15, 2013)

Very nice hatch bud!

I do separate the males to a different room if the mating doesn't go well on the 1st try with most species to undo the pheromone saturation, since that would never happen in the wild and it works quite well most of the time, but your methods seem to do more than fine for you.


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## agent A (Jan 16, 2013)

angelofdeathzz said:


> Very nice hatch bud!I do separate the males to a different room if the mating doesn't go well on the 1st try with most species to undo the pheromone saturation, since that would never happen in the wild and it works quite well most of the time, but your methods seem to do more than fine for you.


Opening windows helps with air movement too but i wont be able to do this for a few more months :lol: 

We have a snowday here today


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## Precarious (Jan 27, 2013)

Final count was 203!

66 nymphs sold. Still almost 140 to move...

FOR SALE: Deroplatys lobata nymphs


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## agent A (Jan 27, 2013)

Precarious said:


> Final count was 203!66 nymphs sold. Still almost 140 to move...
> 
> http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28720'&gt;FOR SALE: Deroplatys lobata nymphs


How big was that ooth? I had 80 come out of an ooth the size of my thumb  

These things scare me when they hatch for some reason


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## gripen (Jan 27, 2013)

Precarious said:


> Final count was 203!
> 
> 66 nymphs sold. Still almost 140 to move...
> 
> FOR SALE: Deroplatys lobata nymphs


Really good job man! Good luck selling all of them!


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## Bug Trader (Jan 27, 2013)

Thats alot of little dead leaf's to feed. I have been debating on getting together a communal viv of them. Thats one of the largest ooth hatches Ive heard of in this species.


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## Precarious (Jan 27, 2013)

Bug Trader said:


> Thats one of the largest ooth hatches Ive heard of in this species.


Wow, really? I don't know what I'm doing right but I'll try to keep doing it.

I'm having similar luck with the Rhombodera cf valida. Everyone I sold to is reporting low hatch counts, like 16 to 60 nymphs. Mine hatch over 300! No idea why.

And I have a female Orchid that's been adult now for over 6 months and still perfect. That's pretty long for an Orchid. No missing feet and she still eats like a champ. She's laid 8 ooths and preparing a 9th! Not that it will hatch but still pretty impressive.


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## Bug Trader (Jan 27, 2013)

Its all in the husbandry i guess, Too many people cutting corners in care and housing requirments to save a buck or make life easier who knows. But your definitely doing something right. Wouldnt hurt to teach a few people or have a local meet and show off your ways.


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## Mime454 (Jan 27, 2013)

How much time do you spend caring for mantids on an average day, Pre?


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## Precarious (Jan 27, 2013)

Mime454 said:


> How much time do you spend caring for mantids on an average day, Pre?


No more than 20 hours. :helpsmilie: 

Really, not much time at all. I don't feed every day but I do mist all my mantids twice a day and the temp is generally in the 70's. If anything it may be those 2 factors that work really well for most species. Lots of opportunities to drink and no intense heat. So I'll go around with my spray bottle which takes maybe 10 minutes. When I feed I do it pretty fast too. If I take my time it takes maybe a half hour depending on all the variable of what I'm keeping at that moment.


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## Ruaumoko (Jan 27, 2013)

I need to put mine together in the next couple of weeks.Not looking forward to it in the slightest!


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