Delay in Laying Ooth

[batsofchaos]

I mated one of my females a few weeks ago and she has yet to lay an ooth. I've been feeding her like crazy and I've kept her well-misted and she seems to be in absolutely perfect health. While I can't say with 100% accuracy that I'm sure they mated, they did seem to have done the deed. He climbed on, their abdomen's fully connected, they remained connected for several hours (a quick peak every hour or so is what this is based off of) and once they seperated, her valves were out of her ovipositor. Near as I can tell, that's a successful mating. I wasn't concerned when she missed the normal five day timeline for laying, but it's been two weeks now and no Ooth. Should I re-mate her, just in case they connected but he didn't do anything? Is this a sign that she's "barren" or something?

 

[Rick]

Mating doesn't really seem to determine when they will lay an ooth. She will lay ooths whether mated or not. There is no set time after mating that an ooth will be made. I have an orchid right now that is in the exact same situation. Sounds like you're doing everything right. Is she warm enough?

 

[batsofchaos]

I'm keeping her at about 75-80 F during the day and 70ish at night, so she should be fine. I feel better that there's no set time; I read previously that you should expect the first ooth around five days after successful mating.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Not with the ghost girls, it can take them a good month or more for their first ooth.

 

[batsofchaos]

Good to know. I'll stop worrying about it, feed her up fat, and let her do her thing.

 

[elf run1]

ya i was worried about one of my chinese females for a while but i did get an ooth lol and right now have littly nyphs running around trying to get out.

 

[kamakiri]

Keep her well fed. I say don't worry until after 7 to 8 days or so.

 

[kamakiri]

Any news?

 

[batsofchaos]

No ooth as of 7:00 this morning. Hopefully I'll come home to one tonight, but I'm not stressin' it.

 

[batsofchaos]

And it's a bouncing, baby ooth!

Came home tonight to find this whopper of a 3-4 incher. Couldn't be more proud.

 

[Katnapper]

That's a nice one, congrats!!

 

[PhilinYuma]

I'm keeping her at about 75-80 F during the day and 70ish at night, so she should be fine. I feel better that there's no set time; I read previously that you should expect the first ooth around five days after successful mating.

TThe statement that a fertile female will lay within five days and Rebecca's statement that hers often take up to a month after fertilization, are not mutually exclusive. 75F -8oF during the day is OK, but 85F during the day is better, i.e. closer to what the mantids would experience in Madagascar. If you should decide to increase the temp, remember that, all else being equal, the humidity will drop. A humidity in the pots of about 70% is nice but can be hard to maintain, and impossible if you don't have an accurate hygrometer. So, yes, fertile ghosts will produce an ooth usually in the first week after copulation under ideal heat and humidity conditions in my experience, but you may avoid some problems by keeping the atmosphere in the pot similar to the ambient. Yr females will take a little longer to start laying, but they will also live a little longer, too.

 

[sufistic]

That's a beautiful ooth. Good luck on the hatching!

 

[Peter Clausen]

Just a note to say that this species is also found on continental Africa.

And don't you have a cigar-smoking smiley, Katnapper?

 

[ismart]

I have noticed my females will lay an ooth a week if well fed, and kept at 80 to 85F, and 60 to 70% humidity. As they get older it takes them a little longer to lay inbetween ooths.

 

[batsofchaos]

TThe statement that a fertile female will lay within five days and Rebecca's statement that hers often take up to a month after fertilization, are not mutually exclusive. 75F -8oF during the day is OK, but 85F during the day is better, i.e. closer to what the mantids would experience in Madagascar. If you should decide to increase the temp, remember that, all else being equal, the humidity will drop. A humidity in the pots of about 70% is nice but can be hard to maintain, and impossible if you don't have an accurate hygrometer. So, yes, fertile ghosts will produce an ooth usually in the first week after copulation under ideal heat and humidity conditions in my experience, but you may avoid some problems by keeping the atmosphere in the pot similar to the ambient. Yr females will take a little longer to start laying, but they will also live a little longer, too.

That makes sense, Phil. I had decided to keep them at a slightly lower temperature range to prolong their lifespan some, so it makes sense for them to be late bloomers to a limited extent.

 

[kamakiri]

Congratulations!

Now she's all set to keep spittin' 'em out!