Breeding Rhombodera - Part 2

[iain5]

So I'm leaving town for a week and I'm getting ready to feed and water all my mantises before I drop them off with a friend who also happens to be a PhD entomologist. First thing I do is spray a little water on my female Giant Shield Mantis that I mated about a week and a half ago to make her drink a little (I don't know why I do this, but I feel like they need more water than they get from food and the humidity medium). This naturally annoys her, especially since after closer inspection, I saw that she was just finishing up laying her first ooth. It was about the size of a golf ball and stuck to the lid of the cage in the corner where I didn't see it. I think she might have been about done, but there was definitely some white stuff still coming out of her at the time. I think a little extra water from the spray might also have gotten on the newly drying ooth, soo....

Did I ruin it? If not, is there a safe way to remove it from the vented plastic roof of the cage (it's one of those standard pet-store critter keepers)? I put a bunch of twigs in the cage so they would be easy to cut and remove but I guess she prefers hard plastic. I will probably make a screen lid for the cage now since that will be easier to cut and more disposable.

 

[acerbity]

Let's give the ooth plenty of time to dry and harden, given the extra humidity you caused, then remove it. Doubtful that you caused any harm to the ooth by spraying, it's not like the last "finalizing" step when burning a CD, where you risk ruining the contents!

 

[hibiscusmile]

:lol: that was a good one acer!, This species unless given a lot of room will always lay on the plastic, lucky she didn't attack you, spraying a new mother like that! hah! We all have done it! :blink:

 

[iain5]

Just in case anyone was wondering:

The ooth hatched fine a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I had given it to a friend and it hatched just as she was leaving town. She misted the nymphs and left them to eat each other for a few days, but I don't think they had enough moisture and they had all died within a week. I never got to see any of the babies, but apparently there were hundreds. I didn't really want to raise a new generation of that species anyway, but I'm glad the ooth was at least successful.

 

[collinchang635]

Just in case anyone was wondering:The ooth hatched fine a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I had given it to a friend and it hatched just as she was leaving town. She misted the nymphs and left them to eat each other for a few days, but I don't think they had enough moisture and they had all died within a week. I never got to see any of the babies, but apparently there were hundreds. I didn't really want to raise a new generation of that species anyway, but I'm glad the ooth was at least successful.

Well, you could have sold the nymph if they had survived. Then you would have some extra money to buy another species. Maybe something more aggressive like a wide arm or a budwing.

 

[Rick]

Well, you could have sold the nymph if they had survived. Then you would have some extra money to buy another species. Maybe something more aggressive like a wide arm or a budwing.

What makes you think a shield mantis is not aggressive? These females will eat anything.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yea, I have to keep my metal forcepts in my hand so they don't pull me in :lol: & wen they do catch the forcepts, I have to leave them with them, cause they won't let go till they realize they are not food :lol:

 

[collinchang635]

Ooo.... I didn't know that. Now this mantid is on my top 5 most wanted. :lol: How big do they grow?

 

[iain5]

Mine were about as big as a giant asian, although with the shield-shaped thorax, they look even more impressive. I also really liked their coloration, with the dark shiny leaf-like wings and purple on the back of their heads. I also concur on their aggressiveness. They will pounce on prey and "double fist" if they can.

 

[collinchang635]

Mine were about as big as a giant asian, although with the shield-shaped thorax, they look even more impressive. I also really liked their coloration, with the dark shiny leaf-like wings and purple on the back of their heads. I also concur on their aggressiveness. They will pounce on prey and "double fist" if they can.

Most of the mantids I want are native to Malaysia where I am but I can't seem to find any.