Chunky female mantis

[joshandsadie]

i have a female orchid mantis who has bred multiple times in the last month or month and a half. She is huge and eats a large amount of food every day. I still have no egg casing and im wondering when i should expect to see one. She was so big last week she couldnt move without help. im getting impatiant. does anyone know when i may see an egg casing.

 

[warpdrive]

do you have the proper plants for her to lay on?

if so, it seems like any time now she will lay her ooth.

Harry

 

[sporeworld]

I had one that bred and never did lay. No idea why. I suspect humidity and temperature might have a hand in it, but no evidence to support it.

 

[joshandsadie]

what would be the best plant life to offer her. i have given her grape vine and also a sturdy broad leafed plant so that she had options. i notice she prefers to sit on my head rather then be in her tank to the point that when she sees me she taps on the glass to get me to take her out she then makes her way to my head and gets comfortable. She will stay there for hours while i do house work.

 

[sporeworld]

what would be the best plant life to offer her. i have given her grape vine and also a sturdy broad leafed plant so that she had options. i notice she prefers to sit on my head rather then be in her tank to the point that when she sees me she taps on the glass to get me to take her out she then makes her way to my head and gets comfortable. She will stay there for hours while i do house work.

Hillarious!

 

[Rick]

what would be the best plant life to offer her. i have given her grape vine and also a sturdy broad leafed plant so that she had options. i notice she prefers to sit on my head rather then be in her tank to the point that when she sees me she taps on the glass to get me to take her out she then makes her way to my head and gets comfortable. She will stay there for hours while i do house work.

They don't need a certain plant to lay an ooth. Too much handling is detrimental to a mantids health as well, especially a very gravid female. And she isn't seeing you and tapping on the glass to be let out. The problem you describe is not uncommon for orchid mantids. I've had it happen before too. There is a good chance she will never lay an ooth but become eggbound instead.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Rick is right on about her being egg bound, I don't know about the handling thing, not that I disagree, I just don't have the same opinion, and also you are feeding her way to much, give her a few flies or a worm a day, her body cannot handle all that food, oh, yea! nice hairpiece!

 

[joshandsadie]

ok so i did some more reading on the mantis breeding and i decided to put my male and female is seperate areas of the house. Im really new at this mantid thing. Anyway My female started squirting liquid today every two minutes im reading that it means she is calling a male and this is the first time i have seen her do this. Could this mean she is just a late bloomer or something else? Any tips from other orchid mantis owners would be great.

 

[AmandaLynn]

ok so i did some more reading on the mantis breeding and i decided to put my male and female is seperate areas of the house. Im really new at this mantid thing. Anyway My female started squirting liquid today every two minutes im reading that it means she is calling a male and this is the first time i have seen her do this. Could this mean she is just a late bloomer or something else? Any tips from other orchid mantis owners would be great.

Squirting liquid constantly is not a good sign. If you are feeding her only crickets, I would suggest changing it up. Anything you can catch that she will eat besides what you've been feeding her. She still might not lay an ooth.

 

[Rick]

Mating will not make her lay an ooth. The issue of this species not laying an ooth happens fairly regularly.