# Mature male won't mate



## Lylelovett666 (Sep 18, 2011)

I have a male blue flash that seems terrified when I put him in the presence of a female.It's been well over a month since he reached adulthood but when he gets around a female he becomes petrified .what's to be done?Is there any way to get him interested ?

Thanks


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## Domanating (Sep 19, 2011)

Was the female staring at him or was the male put in front of her? The male will only attempt to jump on the female from the sides or from behind otherwise if he moves the female will attempt to grab him as food. Did you try making the female move away from the male? This will provide the opportunity for him to jump on her. If the position is not correct, the male will stay still until the female moves first and he will do really reeeeaaaally slow movements to avoid being detected.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 19, 2011)

I put him behind her and yes the female was moving away at times.I've tried twice now with two different females and both times he was petrified.I mated a pair of bud wings last month with the same technique and the male had no problem doing his thing within about a minute.


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## patrickfraser (Sep 19, 2011)

Sometimes they just won't cooperate. Best thing to do is to try and try, again. Just don't let him get got.


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## Termite48 (Sep 19, 2011)

See if you can get a nice big cricket or even a huge BB to put in her grasp and the time you want to get him mounted. If she is distracted you have half the battle won. The other is if you literally place him perhaps with one leg on her (you can use a skewer or something long with a small diameter and not you fingers) and he sees that she is not going to wack him, he may then get over the fears that are based on instict.


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## Mex_Ghost (Sep 19, 2011)

is your female at least 2 weeks as adult? maybe you have to wait one week and try again.... also you can do what Rich said.... " The other is if you literally place him perhaps with one leg on her....."


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 19, 2011)

Tried again today and after some considerable time,prodding and blowing he did eventually mount.She however lost all interest in the cricket she was eating and eyeballed him for about 15 seconds before I decided to end the date.He's a very apprehensive dude but guess he knows the score.


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 20, 2011)

Make sure your male is full of prey and water before he is introduced. I have had a couple of males that wouldn't mate, but did immediately after they had a good mist or prey item.

Also, a couple of them were scared and didn't seem to know what to do until they got a real close look at the female's rear. :huh: A few times, I have had luck when I put the males face right up to the female's rear, the change in his behavior can be surprisingly sudden. :tt1: It may be why some males like to turn around the wrong way and check it out, even if they mounted right the first time?

I think that sometimes the male just knows it if the female is not ready(too young, or about to lay an ooth). But, some males just don't care and will mount anyway.


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## RevWillie (Sep 20, 2011)

I have a shy male Creo that does a great frozen deer-in-the-headlights when the female sees him. The females are totally willing, calling like crazy, practically backing up under him, but he won't do it. I had a female get mad at him the other day and after trying to entice him in every way possible, she threw up her wings and started punching him with her raptors! I quickly put in another male and the deed was done, I removed the shy guy.

I have bred him a couple of times but he's a shy, 'traditional' guy that wants to get to know the girls first.  

I have set up a 'honeymoon suite' - a screen cage outside in the FL heat and humidity - it seems to get their motors running.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 23, 2011)

I tried again tonight and it was a no go.Completely frozen.I had him behind her through two crickets and not a move.When I finally decided to put him back in his condo he reached up for me like a frightened child and ran up my arm.Frustrating but the scared kid routine was pretty funny.Try again tomorrow.


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## Rick (Sep 23, 2011)

Sometimes you gotta do something different. In that case I just pick him up by the thorax and place him on her back. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.


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## jrh3 (Sep 23, 2011)

Actually the best thing to do is to Gutload your BB Flies with viagra. lol


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## brown (Sep 23, 2011)

I have a similar problem. I have trouble with a shy or scared male and an aggressive female. I've had an experience where I would guide the male onto the female's back and he just kept on walking. The male mantis would step over the female's head while she's still eating then fly away. The female is very aggressive and if she notices a male she turns to face him and wants to eat him. Both are about 4 weeks adult.


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## mantiscraze (Sep 24, 2011)

Ok, this may be a dumb idea. But I just left 2 male Creos inside the same enclosure as the female, provided that it's a fairly spacious. So far, no one has been absent (1 night).


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 24, 2011)

She has a very healthy appetite that I don't think would lend its self to cohabitation.


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## Domanating (Sep 24, 2011)

It's very weird the male refusing to mate. I never seen such thing before. I like putting my females walking around the male enclosures, it puts them all mad and start jumping towards it and trying to reach the female, it's quite funny.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks to all for the advice.Put him in with a female for a couple hours,a little mist,a cricket and bammo.He actually flew off my hand onto her back when he got about 7 or 8 inches from her.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

Also curious,she's on her fourth cricket in about an hour,will this up his chances for survival?Will anything?


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## gripen (Sep 26, 2011)

congrats! i think he will do just fine if you keep an i on them.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

She's currently into her 6th cricket. Hoping she just gets too full to even consider dessert.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

Will he dismount when he's done?


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## Domanating (Sep 26, 2011)

Yup but matings use to take a lot of time in some species. If enough space is given he will eventually try to fly away although it's not a sure possibility. It also depends of the female you know? Even being from the same species, some females are more tolerant towards males than others if treated the same way. I mated one female and she ate my male because i forgot to look after him. days later i mated a 2nd female. In this case i also forgot to look for the male but when i got there they were safely separated apart. No issues at all. Even more intriguing, that 2nd female was way less fed than the 1st one. Lets hope you got a peaceful female there.


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/LyleLovett666/Edwingetsitdone.jpg


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## Domanating (Sep 26, 2011)

"a"? Is that some kind of posting error or are you trying to say something that didn't go as planned?


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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)




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## Lylelovett666 (Sep 26, 2011)

Posting error while trying to post a photo .


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