My kids picked up a healthy Female Chinese Mantis 10 days ago (Illinois, USA), and have been feeding it live grasshoppers with great success but no plans to breed it and planned on setting free shortly. But last night it created a Ootheca on a branch in the enclosure.
The questions are the following:
1) Do they create these Ootheca without fertilized eggs or mating?
2) How long do they generally take to create the Ootheca once mated, and can it go over a week from mating before delivering a viable one??
3) Knowing this creature is at the end of its life cycle, is it best to keep inside and warm until it expires, or set it free in 50-60 degree daytime (40- degree nightime) temperatures for its final days? (We'd hate to have it freeze to death the 1st night back outside after having lived in room temps for the last 10 days...)
4) If we set it free, what are the realistic chances of finding a mate, and procreating, in this relatively short time to freezing temps.?
5) If we can't find a way to supply proper food for the Nymphs, assuming viable egg sac & coming within a couple of months, is it possible to place the Ootheca outside in the field with a chance of survival during the winter?
Thank you...
The questions are the following:
1) Do they create these Ootheca without fertilized eggs or mating?
2) How long do they generally take to create the Ootheca once mated, and can it go over a week from mating before delivering a viable one??
3) Knowing this creature is at the end of its life cycle, is it best to keep inside and warm until it expires, or set it free in 50-60 degree daytime (40- degree nightime) temperatures for its final days? (We'd hate to have it freeze to death the 1st night back outside after having lived in room temps for the last 10 days...)
4) If we set it free, what are the realistic chances of finding a mate, and procreating, in this relatively short time to freezing temps.?
5) If we can't find a way to supply proper food for the Nymphs, assuming viable egg sac & coming within a couple of months, is it possible to place the Ootheca outside in the field with a chance of survival during the winter?
Thank you...