Cold in AZ- How long can iris oratoria handle 40 degree weather?

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Help! Cold front in AZ! The temperatures have dropped from 90 degrees 3 weeks ago to 40 degrees at night for the last 2 nights. I had 5 outdoor iris oratoria females, and 2 disappeared. It will be this cold for a few more days. The temps will probably rise in a few days. I don't really have room to take them in, but I will if they could die. Does anyone have experience with outdoor iris oratoria? Should I take them in? They are all fat and pregnant!

 

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Well I found 1 murdered by the neighbor's cat evidenced by white cat hairs stuck to her poor dead body! She was very fat and didn't get to lay her eggs. The outdoor mantids all like to lay their eggs on my frost cloth which is across my walkway. The cat was probably looking for a warm place to hide at night and found the mantid. I don't understand why my outdoor mantids won't lay their eggs on any of the sticks I provided? Why are they laying eggs on cloth?

 

[Ranitomeya]

Mantises tend to die around this time as the cold weather sets in and they become unable to function. How long they can last depends on whether or not they can find a place to stay sufficiently warm during the night and a place to warm themselves during the day.

The cloth has more surface area on which a mantis can find an optimal laying location, so it's more likely that you'll find oothecae on the cloth than on the sticks.

 

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Oh. That makes sense! Thank you! I'm going to have to take them in soon. They will be upset, but at least they will live a lot longer!

 

[Jay]

Okay. Living in Tucson, I actually see the iris oratoria a lot from July-October and have noticed the following:

-They generally do not live that long.

-If you take them in they require a TON of ventilation. The adults do not do well in high-humidity environments.

-If you happen to know of a place with saw grass or another pokey plant that provides shelter for the mantis (but keeps predators out) this is an ideal outdoor environment for the mantis.

Generally, this is where I have found these mantises:

Spring: On small flowering shrubbery

Summer: On large flowering bushes or other plants that attract pollinators, such as Mexican Bird of Paradise.

Fall: Mostly in sheltered places, such as the saw grass aforementioned. Smart mantises will often stay in there during the day and only come out to hunt at night.

I hope this helps!

-Jay

 

[Jay]

Here is another thought - as it goes with the ootheca.

As you noted, the females of this species tend to lay eggs on wider objects, such as tree trunks or brick walls. They prefer rough surfaces over smooth ones. To make the point: I have seen oothecas on Mesquite and Sweet Acacia but I have not seen any of these ooths on Palo Verde - which has a much smoother bark.

Best wishes!

-Jay

 

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Yes, that helps a lot!!! Thank you Jay! I actually gave in. I was trying to make a warm area for them but one crawled up my leg and another one somehow made it to my door. I'm sure they were following the warmth. But I noticed that they could barely stand. They were both dizzy and out of it. So, I found all 5 and took them inside and they are all happy and laying tons of ooths now!

I appreciate your observations about the ventilation, where they lay ooths and their short life spans. It helped me a lot! I found Mesquite branches I think and that is where they are laying their eggs now!

 

[CosbyArt]

Glad to see you gained some new friends for the winter, and they are repaying you with ooths.

 

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Thanks! Yes, they are wonderful winter friends! I just hope I can find good homes for their offspring!