# Ootheca hatching time



## infinity (Sep 22, 2006)

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this but I am (at this very second) watching my h.grandis hatch out and I realised what everyone has come to believe might be triggered by light... i.e. we're all used to ooths hatching early morning (in general)- but maybe it's not so much a circadian rhythm thing but more a light induced thing.

Basically I had this ooth in the dark and didn't expect it to hatch (o' come all ye faithless!) but on a gloomy day like today, that corner of the room gradually got more and more lit up and here it is hatching at 4pm... so is the hatching exclusively dependent on light?!

All you people with chinese mantids or something easily accessible might try this- keeping an ooth in the dark during the day and then bringing it out later in the evening (when there's still natural light) and seeing the effects...


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## Rick (Sep 22, 2006)

I doubt light has anything to do with it. Light cannot penetrate the ooth. Temperature maybe but I doubt light.


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