Any point in incubating unfertilized ooths?

[PragmaticHominid]

I've run across a few posts on the internet claiming that unmated female mantises are capable of parthenogenesis, and that sometimes unfertilized ooths will hatch out a handful of nymphs. This sound dubious to me, so I figured I'd ask the experts.

Will an ooth from a mantis who's never been bred actually sometimes produce nymphs? Do you have any personal experiences, one way or the other?

My Creobroter female looks ready to lay an ooth (she's fat and grumpy) so I need to know if there's any point in looking after her ooths or if I should just throw them away.

 

[d17oug18]

Creobroter's aren't known for any kind of parthenogenesis. As well, if you have had it captive 100% with no male in sight to touch her, then i personally wouldn't keep it. There are certain people that may have had it happen, but those stories end in; "The nymphs looked weak, and all died after only a few days". BUT if she has had any contact with a male, keep it, cuase anything can happen when a males involved ^_^

 

[PhilinYuma]

This did happen once in prerecorded history. The Mighty Mantis Mother remained a virgin after conceiving the Great Mantis Goddess, (Blessed be Her Name). I think that something similar was supposed to have happened to a human woman around 2,000 years ago.

The only U.S. mantis known to be parthenogenetic is Brunneria borealis, the grass mantis, and Sphodromantis viridis and a few others have also been documented as showing this trait. But Creobroter? Toss em out!

 

[Rick]

No, don't waste your time unless it is one of the very few species that can perform parthenogenesis.

 

[hibiscusmile]

:blink:

 

[dgerndt]

I would say just save them for a mini mantis collection. Ooths are pretty cool to look at, even if they aren't fertile.

Although, my miomantis paykulli reproduced via parthogenesis, and I have a couple L2 nymphs as proof.

 

[Rick]

I would say just save them for a mini mantis collection. Ooths are pretty cool to look at, even if they aren't fertile.

Although, my miomantis paykulli reproduced via parthogenesis, and I have a couple L2 nymphs as proof.

Ooths are great to collect. I have a case full of them I show off during Bugfest. Infertile and hatched ooths can be used for this purpose.

 

[MantidLord]

I doubt that the species that produce through parthenogenesis have weak nymphs. But I wouldn't incubate it if that species doesn't exhibit that ability.

 

[dgerndt]

I doubt that the species that produce through parthenogenesis have weak nymphs. But I wouldn't incubate it if that species doesn't exhibit that ability.

I only had twelve hatch out, and I only have three left. I have one at L1, one at L2, and one at L3. :lol:

 

[MantidLord]

I only had twelve hatch out, and I only have three left. I have one at L1, one at L2, and one at L3. :lol:

What species is this? That's pretty crazy. I said that I doubt the nymphs would be weak because I know it's used as a survival tactic when few males are around, so at least some of the "clones" should be able to make it to adulthood.

 

[dgerndt]

What species is this? That's pretty crazy. I said that I doubt the nymphs would be weak because I know it's used as a survival tactic when few males are around, so at least some of the "clones" should be able to make it to adulthood.

She was miomantis paykullii. They can mate or reproduce through parthenogenesis. She never mated so I was drying her oothecae out under a lamp, then they started to hatch! I guess I was actually incubating them. :lol:

 

[Ntsees]

Will an ooth from a mantis who's never been bred actually sometimes produce nymphs? Do you have any personal experiences, one way or the other?

Like what others mentioned, only some species can do that. Personal experiences? Yes. I raise Iris oratoria and about 2 years ago, I only had 1 male with about 8 females. As things turned out, the male only got to mate with only 1 female before I lost the male. All of the females eventually produced ooths and knowing that the species was known for parthenogenesis, I just kept the fertile ooth separated from the rest (actually I was a little lazy and so the ooths from each mantid was never taken out and were still in their respective jars). Last year, in addition to the fertile ooth that hatched, one of the unmated females ooths hatched (it had about 2-3 ooths and a few nymphs from each ooth hatched).