D. desiccata success!

[guapoalto049]

So recently I posted a topic about desiccata ooth woes. I guess I spoke too soon, as the 3rd ooth of the female is hatching out right now. There are around 30 in there and more popping out.

So the first and second ooths never hatched, yet the 3rd did? Pretty odd. I'll post pics later!

 

[lunarstorm]

Congrats! I look forward to seeing your pics.

 

[ismart]

So the first and second ooths never hatched, yet the 3rd did? Pretty odd. I'll post pics later!

That is odd! What changes did you make for the third to hatch? Congrats btw,

 

[agent A]

congrates!!!! show us pics

 

[gripen]

YAY!!!!

 

[guapoalto049]

Thanks everyone! I'll be posting pictures once I borrow a camera, I left mine in the rain this fall.

@ Paul: There were no changes, the third ooth was slightly more clean looking than the second, but she was not mated between the two. The first two are def. fertile, I think it may be either malnourished nymphs, an insufficient ootheca, etc.

As I mentioned before, I opened ooth #1 to find half-formed nymphs, so I know its fertilized. She was remated with a second male between the first and second ooths. I really focused on pollen after the first ooth, I coated every single morsel of food with it.

 

[Termite48]

Chris; You are making it easier now for the rest of us to see the importance of a more then haphazard diet in order to get the ooth to hatch with healthy nymphs. There is not much bebenfit in having such nymphs get to the hatching point and then have the "fading nymph syndrome" that some of us have noticed with some of this genus. I have also been working on this from the angle of the need for better fruit flies and of course we know about gutloading. Just feeding a BB from out of the pupae, I do not think that that is doing anyone a favor. it is just my humble popinion, but I know that I have read things about such a travesty from some of the Forum's finest breeders, not to mention the obvious names. Now you are writing your own book abot what has worked and not workded with D. dessicata. This is worth some praise and a hardy cheer! Good work!

Rich

 

[guapoalto049]

Thank you for the kind words, Rich.

I am excited for the hatchlings but also for the information. This species is notorious for being very difficult to breed. I started with 3 L4 nymphs (one female and two males) so I'm living proof that with proper care and an attentive eye this species can be reared with minimal numbers.

Hopefully between my babies and the ones Yen's hatched, this species will get a little more widespread in the US.

 

[yen_saw]

Glad to hear the hatching news Chris. When you told me about the problem on your first ooth I was worry that you might give up on the rest. I was really hoping the subsequent ooth will hatch for you and glad the third one did. The same thing had happen to me on D. lobata ooth as well, just never knew which one would hatch eventually.

 

[ismart]

Thanks everyone! I'll be posting pictures once I borrow a camera, I left mine in the rain this fall.

@ Paul: There were no changes, the third ooth was slightly more clean looking than the second, but she was not mated between the two. The first two are def. fertile, I think it may be either malnourished nymphs, an insufficient ootheca, etc.

Awesome! Good luck with them!

 

[sporeworld]

Just feeding a BB from out of the pupae, I do not think that that is doing anyone a favor. Rich

Yeah, I think you're probably right - at least for some of the more delicate species.

I've worried that underfed (or UN-fed) Blue Bottles could lead to health problems, but its tough to really isolate it.

I have seen, on some of my fly-only fed adult Idolos, something akin to cavaties on thier shield and raptors. It reminded me of shell rot in turtles. It only seemed to happen on the nymphs from one strain, and didn't SEEM to spread to others in the same enclosures. So, certainly could be a nutrional deficiency. I have never seen it in any other species, or even any other strain of Idolos. Or any other INSTAR of Idolos.

And, great work on the desiccata! Beautiful species!