What happens if I don't breed my female orchid mantis?

Hi Everyone,
If you happened to see my previous post, my male orchid mantis somehow managed to escape his side of the terrarium and got into the female's side while i was cleaning house. I came back a few hours later to find nothing left of him but 2 wings! I'm very upset. But now i'm also worried because I read on one of the many sites i peruse, that if mantises are not bred they continue to produce eggs but may not lay them and then die of being egg bound. Is this true? If I don't breed her will she die? Also, i read that when they breed they often die after laying the eggs. So is she going to die prematurely either way??

thanks for the advice! I'm a totale rookie at all this. It's my first time with them and I adore them so much. They're just amazing creatures.

Thanks!
Mellie

Orchids are not that delicate. She will live over a year if you take care of her and keep her safe. She will lay an ootheca even if not mated and that does not make her death faster. It's as God intended for them.

hibiscusmile said:

Orchids are not that delicate. She will live over a year if you take care of her and keep her safe. She will lay an ootheca even if not mated and that does not make her death faster. It's as God intended for them.

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Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

Mellie mantis said:

Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

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Eating the male isn’t harmful for her. As long as you don’t over feed odds are she won’t become outbound and will live a normal lifespan.

BlobfishBoy said:

Eating the male isn’t harmful for her. As long as you don’t over feed odds are she won’t become outbound and will live a normal lifespan.

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True

Mellie mantis said:

Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

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just to clear things up, the female eating the male isnt unhealthy for her, she eats the male as a source of nutrition for herself and her offspring