# Eremiaphila brunneri mating



## admin (Dec 6, 2004)

waynejoss

Joined: 06 Feb 2004

Posts: 32

Location: UK

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 6:12 pm Post subject: Eremiaphila brunneri mating

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Hi,

This week I mated my E. brunneri mantids. Their mating behaviour is strange to watch. The first mating on Monday went without a hitch and took no more than a couple minutes, but was very frantic. I tried to mate a second pair today but the unmated male didn't seem interested, so I used the first male and he wasted no time in doing the buisness, but in doing so I think he damaged the female. Her abdomen seemed to get punctured in the struggle as a small amount of straw coloured liquid oozed out. When he had finished he jumped off but I wasn't quick enough in getting her out and he started to mate her again although she didn't want to know. Does anybody think she will survive to lay an ooth? In my experience it's pretty much fatal. The first mated female layed an ooth on Wednesday, two days after mating just below the substrate surface. I removed it the following day, incubating at 35-40 degrees Celcius with a drop to 20 at night when I turn the heat lamps off.

Any comments would be welcome.

Thanks

Wayne

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waynejoss

Joined: 06 Feb 2004

Posts: 32

Location: UK

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 7:35 pm Post subject: brutal mating

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Hi,

Just mated my final female. I'am amazed how these little critters don't kill each other or survive long enougth to breed after one of these encounters. The females seem more at risk than the males. The final female has injured one of her eyes in the process but the one I thought was injured last week seems to have recovered because I can't see any injury so I've no idea why she would excrete the straw coloured liquid on purpose. Its quite stressful to watch all this but fascinating to watch the process of laying and covering the ooth.

On another note there must be something in the air because this week I've lost a series of adult males to hungray females including a bud wing, P. whalbergii, creobroter, and also a G. gongyloides, she had eaten all the way down to his long neck.

Wayne

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silver_arctic1

Site Admin

Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Posts: 180

Location: Austin, TX

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 7:00 pm Post subject:

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Hey Wayne,

I, too, have experienced this with my Erems. My first female bred successfully, although she ate the male in the process. The second and third female did okay, but one female did secrete a blueish liquid on her abdomen, which I think was the male's fault too. But she remained healthy and laid some ooths as well, although not as big or many as the first female...so I dunno.

Good luck!

Evan

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waynejoss

Joined: 06 Feb 2004

Posts: 32

Location: UK

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 9:56 pm Post subject: Eremiaphila brunneri mating

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Hi Evan,

What you say is rather interesting because the second and third females that were mated seemed to exude liquid out of their abdomens during and after mating . I thought this was due to injury by the male but this doesn't seem to be the case because the second female doesn't appear to have any injury and has already layed a couple of ooths. The third female though looks to me in a terrible state because she is exuding a bluey green liquid between the plates around her abdomen . If you've noticed the same and she has survived what on earth could be the explaination for Eremiaphila species to do this, if it's not an injury?

Regards

Wayne


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