# when do they get wings?



## sevenoaks (May 16, 2010)

my nymphs are about two inches long now (Chinese) when do they grow their wings?

how warm does it have to be outside for me to release them in the wild? i live in New York and i think its about 50F average at night now. thanks again.


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## massaman (May 16, 2010)

they dont get wings until their adults and they will be around 4-5 inches long when they do and it would be ok to release them now I think but better to release them at night so no predators can get at them in the day time!


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## JoeCapricorn (May 16, 2010)

And I thought mine hatched early! I think 50º average isn't too bad, around the same here and I let a bunch of my Chinese nymphs go as well. They were mostly L2 and some L3, and yet still are bigger than any others that would be out in the wild because they hatched way before most do in the wild. Yours would definitely have an advantage over those in the wild.

Can anyone comment though if it would be harmful for them to be so big so early? If they become adult in June, mate in July, lay eggs in August, what would happen to the egg cases? Would they still hold out until December and go through diapause or would they probably hatch early in October if it remained warm enough?


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## sevenoaks (May 16, 2010)

JoeCapricorn said:


> And I thought mine hatched early! I think 50º average isn't too bad, around the same here and I let a bunch of my Chinese nymphs go as well. They were mostly L2 and some L3, and yet still are bigger than any others that would be out in the wild because they hatched way before most do in the wild. Yours would definitely have an advantage over those in the wild.
> 
> Can anyone comment though if it would be harmful for them to be so big so early? If they become adult in June, mate in July, lay eggs in August, what would happen to the egg cases? Would they still hold out until December and go through diapause or would they probably hatch early in October if it remained warm enough?


good point! if i have to hold onto them (keeping them separate so they wont mate) i will if it will be harmful. curious for answers....


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## Rick (May 16, 2010)

sevenoaks said:


> good point! if i have to hold onto them (keeping them separate so they wont mate) i will if it will be harmful. curious for answers....


They will be ok. Chances are small they will survive to adult in the first place so I wouldn't worry too much about it.


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## sevenoaks (May 16, 2010)

Rick said:


> They will be ok. Chances are small they will survive to adult in the first place so I wouldn't worry too much about it.


that is so sad. it makes me want to keep them...


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## massaman (May 16, 2010)

you can always release them all and buy another ooth as many people tend to do that with chinese ooths for their gardens and such they leave the ooths outside to hatch and populate their gardens or you can just find a safe spot where there is not alot of activity from pests outside and release them all in that spot to spread out and to find their own food and place to live!


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## sevenoaks (May 16, 2010)

massaman said:


> you can always release them all and buy another ooth as many people tend to do that with chinese ooths for their gardens and such they leave the ooths outside to hatch and populate their gardens or you can just find a safe spot where there is not alot of activity from pests outside and release them all in that spot to spread out and to find their own food and place to live!


i really dont want any more. they were hatched from an ooth that the mom laid after i rescued her from a cold day in novemeber. i promised her i would take care of her babies after she died. . where should i release them. i have hedges around my property line and yew bushes close to my house. i dont know what type of bush they like?


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## Rick (May 17, 2010)

sevenoaks said:


> i really dont want any more. they were hatched from an ooth that the mom laid after i rescued her from a cold day in novemeber. i promised her i would take care of her babies after she died. . where should i release them. i have hedges around my property line and yew bushes close to my house. i dont know what type of bush they like?


They don't "like" a particular bush. They like places with a lot of food. Best places are weedy lots, weedy meadows, overgrown fencelines, edges of fields with plenty of weeds, etc. Places that have lots of grasshoppers and other food. But out of an entire ooth, maybe a couple actually survive to be adults. Tough world out there.


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