An update on my mantids

[BugLover]

I caught a Carolina mantis while I was outside earlier today, my other Carolina sub-adult that I found a while ago molted to adult, and I captured two mantids that were mating so currently I have four... It's not very many, but I'm not sure I want to have too many lol

 

[sally]

I had the same kind of day! I found some T sinensis today! It must be mating season

 

[MandellaMandy123]

Cool! You definitely don't want too many. I recently released most of my wild caughts because I just had way too many. Now I'm down to 5 wild caughts and 8 ghosts (I gave a few ghosts to a friend). Four is a nice number.

 

[BugLover]

yeah, atm I am catching their food from outside, so I don't plan on (ever) having more than a few How long does it take for a female to lay an ootheca from when she mates?

 

[SkittishMale]

At the beginning of August, I caught 5 European Mantids when i went out hiking. Two were male and three were female. They were 5th instar when I caught them and now they are adults.

 

[MandellaMandy123]

yeah, atm I am catching their food from outside, so I don't plan on (ever) having more than a few How long does it take for a female to lay an ootheca from when she mates?

Depends on species and when the female mated, a couple of weeks, maybe longer.

I catch all my flies outside too.

 

[BugLover]

I think it is a Chinese mantis, she is ~3 inches and she mated saturday She doesn't want to believe that she is too fat to fly, though :lol:

EDIT: thursday, not saturday

 

[prayingformantids]

Is anyone here based in Ottawa or Ontario? I am on the lookout for some mantids for a children's wildlife education series. I have been searching around myself, in contact with the universities and insectarium in Mtl but can't seem to catch any luck with this.

We are hoping to do a shoot next week on mantids and really need some live ones for the episode. If anyone in this thread has any in Ontario or knows of anyone that might, please get in touch with me.

 

[BugLover]

Okay so the female mantis has been getting bigger and bigger since she mated, but she still hasn't laid any ooths. She is at a point where her abdomen is always dragging! Is she going to lay soon? Should I do anything extra for her before she lays?

 

[devetaki9]

I take my girls out in the evening hoping that the change of scenery and exercise helps keep them from getting egg bound. Some things I have read say change her furniture around and pick some grass (roots and dirt and all) and put it in the container. Make sure it is pesticide/chemical free.

Make sure she has really good surfaces to grip when she needs to lay her ooth. Poor girls have alot of xtra weight to hold up >.<