Deroplatys lobata have mated!

Here's the female, Platysil:





Here's the male, Derotor:





Here's when he first jumped on... at first he was backwards, grabbing onto her anus. Then I helped switch him around. They were on my leg when he finally jumped on her. I tried a few times before this with no luck.



Here's when I transferred them to the shelf, in front of one of the heat lamps. She tried reaching back and grabbing him a few times, so I kept blocking her with my finger. Then started feeding her grasshoppers and flies.



And here he is, finally having inserted.



I ended up transferring them yet again, to a small container so I could take them with me into the living room, so I could be sure he wasn't eaten while I played video games. Then I transferred them yet again, to the "wild cage", which is a huuuge cage set up like the wild. I figured he'd be most likely to get away when he was finished if they were in there. I fell asleep, woke up, and they were STILL mating.

They mated from 5:07 yesterday to around 1pm today. 19 hours!! None of my mantids had ever mated that long before. WOW.

Well, I'm stoked! I won't be keeping all of her offspring and oothecae for myself - will be selling nymphs and oothecae for sure.

Wow.. that was cool.. Thanks for sharing!

Both mantids are beautiful... I have 5 females, 1 male... about L5

That to me is a huge big deal. I have the hardest time with the lobatas mating

I call dibs on a offspring!!

lol no but really, congrats buddy.

dmina said:

Wow.. that was cool.. Thanks for sharing!

Both mantids are beautiful... I have 5 females, 1 male... about L5

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Yeah theyre awesome!

Agreed, theyre a very beautiful species

sally said:

That to me is a huge big deal. I have the hardest time with the lobatas mating

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Some males are totally dumb... I had a male tenodera sinensis that would not mate with my females for the life of me. Found a different male and he mated with my females and my friends female. Lol. It was a piece of cake with that male, but impossible with the other male.

LAME said:

I call dibs on a offspring!!

lol no but really, congrats buddy.

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Haha youll get more than one! what do you think, wanna try 3 this time, to ensure you get a female?

And thanks, im wicked glad lol, derotor is a man now LOL

Congrats! I hope you have many ooths!

JP77 said:

Congrats! I hope you have many ooths!

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Thanks! me too!

Out of the three pairs I had, all of them jumped on by grapping the tip of the female's abdomen and twisting themselves on which makes them end up backwards. It's kind of interesting, maybe it's a technique passed down from father to son : )

Aryia said:

Out of the three pairs I had, all of them jumped on by grapping the tip of the female's abdomen and twisting themselves on which makes them end up backwards. It's kind of interesting, maybe it's a technique passed down from father to son : )

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Lol

Aryia said:

Out of the three pairs I had, all of them jumped on by grapping the tip of the female's abdomen and twisting themselves on which makes them end up backwards. It's kind of interesting, maybe it's a technique passed down from father to son : )

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I've seen that behavior in multiple species. I find it odd but maybe a way to protect himself initially.

Great pics best of luck. Mine are not mature yet but I'm thinking soon. I've never bred mantids before and something tells me this is not the best species to begin with but I bought them as much for their interesting appearance as for the mating.

May I ask what the netting is in the last two pictures. It looks kind of like cammo netting without the cammo coloration but then again it looks kind of like the stuff my grandma would have made doilies out of. It looks like snake skin (especially towards the back of the picture) but I think that has to do with the cloth underneath. I really like it and if I can replicate it I may use it as a backdrop on my display tables.

I think it's your grandma's doily's on a wood surface with light behind... I think...

sschind said:

Great pics best of luck. Mine are not mature yet but I'm thinking soon. I've never bred mantids before and something tells me this is not the best species to begin with but I bought them as much for their interesting appearance as for the mating.

May I ask what the netting is in the last two pictures. It looks kind of like cammo netting without the cammo coloration but then again it looks kind of like the stuff my grandma would have made doilies out of. It looks like snake skin (especially towards the back of the picture) but I think that has to do with the cloth underneath. I really like it and if I can replicate it I may use it as a backdrop on my display tables.

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its cloth from my friends wedding she gave me a bunch i use it for displaying my mantids as well as using it as a molting surface

dmina said:

I think it's your grandma's doily's on a wood surface with light behind... I think...

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i think its a wedding style table cloth, i cut it so i had more

theyre mating for the second time now! and Platysil has laid one ootheca so far. It should be hatching soon! if youre interested in buying nymphs let me know!

For the 2nd time? Haha!! Very nice job my friend

Though I have to say I am eagerly awaiting that ooth

I hope he makes it out alive again, maybe you could go for a third. Anyway, let us know how things turn out!

LAME said:

For the 2nd time? Haha!! Very nice job my friend

Though I have to say I am eagerly awaiting that ooth

I hope he makes it out alive again, maybe you could go for a third. Anyway, let us know how things turn out!

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Thanks! But I gotta say, its mostly Derotor, he's co-operative, I mean Platysil is one attractive female! Lol! Funny how I literally just picked him up by his sides and placed him on her back and he clung on! The ootheca will be all yours, don't doubt it! An ooth for an ooth! He did make it out alive for the scond time, he jumped off about two hours ago. So from 7pm last night to 3-4pm today, that's 20 hours this time! HOLY!!!