Deroplatys lobata mating tips

[Katnapper]

I'm going to try mating my D. lobata females, but will only have one male. I'm wondering if there are any species-specific tips you D. lobata breeders have learned and could share.

The only thing I've been told so far is that the males "don't last long." I'm assuming they don't live very long as adult. Are there any other tips you can give me to maximize chances of sucess? I'm going to have only 1 male to possibly (and hopefully) mate with 5 females. Any observations, thoughts, and ideas very much welcome! Thank you!!

 

[wuwu]

i was in a very similar situation as you when i kept them a couple of years ago. i ended up with 2 adult males and 5 females. one male dropped dead 2 weeks after it's final molt, before i even tried to mate him. the other male, i had trouble w/ getting him to mate. after trying many times, and being unsucessful, i decided to just leave the male in w/ the female when i left for work. it was a pretty big tank, so i figured i was safe. besides, the female was well fed and they always seemed so docile. when i returned home from work, i saw two pairs of wings on the ground and my heart sank.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SINGLE MALE ALONE WITH A FEMALE WITHOUT SUPERVISION.

i'd hate to have the same thing happen to you.

 

[Morpheus uk]

I`d say set up a large net cage crammed with twigs and decor for the male to hide in. Put the male in the enclosure and leave him in there for a few days proir to the mating, a week at the most.

While he`s in there fatten up the female as much as possible, when you actually go to pair them up introduce the female to the male and give her a very large prey item that will take her ages to eat.

Try to place her say 4 inches in front of him something like that?

I`d also warm the male up and cool the female down, just so he has more energy.

How many weeks mature are your D.lobata?

 

[Katnapper]

i was in a very similar situation as you when i kept them a couple of years ago. i ended up with 2 adult males and 5 females. one male dropped dead 2 weeks after it's final molt, before i even tried to mate him. the other male, i had trouble w/ getting him to mate. after trying many times, and being unsucessful, i decided to just leave the male in w/ the female when i left for work. it was a pretty big tank, so i figured i was safe. besides, the female was well fed and they always seemed so docile. when i returned home from work, i saw two pairs of wings on the ground and my heart sank. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SINGLE MALE ALONE WITH A FEMALE WITHOUT SUPERVISION.

i'd hate to have the same thing happen to you.

Thank you most kindly for letting me know your experience, wuwu! I very much appreciate, and will definitely heed your warning! The females do seem so docile to me also. I'm grateful to know in advance they are not so trustworthy with the males, even when fed well! I will certainly plan on supervising them now.

I'm very sorry your situation with mating them did not turn out well. I can just imagine how you felt upon seeing the male's remains. And I thank you again for the input... maybe I will have a chance at successful breeding, in part due to knowing your experience.

I`d say set up a large net cage crammed with twigs and decor for the male to hide in. Put the male in the enclosure and leave him in there for a few days proir to the mating, a week at the most.While he`s in there fatten up the female as much as possible, when you actually go to pair them up introduce the female to the male and give her a very large prey item that will take her ages to eat.

Try to place her say 4 inches in front of him something like that?

I`d also warm the male up and cool the female down, just so he has more energy.

How many weeks mature are your D.lobata?

Lots of very good suggestions, Morph! From your signature picture, I assume you've bred these successfully. Is this how you went about it? Also, by "large net cage," how large do you mean? I have lots of 12x12 net cages, but no bigger ones. I have been thinking about getting a couple though. This might be the time. Do you have an approximate measurement of what size you mean? That would be very helpful! I also have a fake tree in the bug room. I've mated a T. sinensis couple in it, but no others. Do you think this might be a good possibility to try?

I just recently acquired the D. lobatas from Rebecca, and was told they were only about a week or a little more, adult. I'm figuring they are likely approximately 2 weeks adult now. Thank you so very much for the enclosure tips! Any other information, no matter how trivial it seems, would be most appreciated!

 

[Morpheus uk]

Ive bred them once before using that method yeah

The females should be at the least 5 weeks mature to be on the safe side, how many weeks is your male mature?

 

[Katnapper]

Ive bred them once before using that method yeah The females should be at the least 5 weeks mature to be on the safe side, how many weeks is your male mature?

I don't know exactly.... just struck a trade for one, and I haven't even got him yet, lol. Will ask.

Thanks for the female maturation info. If the males don't live long as adult, and it's best to wait until females are 5 weeks mature... I'm hoping the male can hold out. Do you, by chance, have an estimate on how long males live as adult?

 

[Morpheus uk]

Not sure really, my males coming up to 3 weeks mature.

Where i said warm the male up and cool the female up do the opposite, up untill your going to pair them up then warm the male up and cool the female down a couple of days before the mating perhaps.

 

[Rob Byatt]

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SINGLE MALE ALONE WITH A FEMALE WITHOUT SUPERVISION.

Without sounding rude, that advice is very poor This is one of tose species that NEED to be left alone together for some time. The male will follow the female around for days sometimes. You just need to leave them to it

Do as Morp suggested, but leave them to it

 

[Morpheus uk]

WOOHOO i helped :lol:

On the note of breeding D.lobata you know it was decided to leave my male for 3 weeks Rob?

Well i checked my calender and accidently left it 4 weeks

And so im going to go ahead and pair mine up tonight

Im fattening the female as we speak, little buggers got a cricket in each arm lol

 

[Katnapper]

Without sounding rude, that advice is very poor This is one of tose species that NEED to be left alone together for some time. The male will follow the female around for days sometimes. You just need to leave them to it Do as Morp suggested, but leave them to it

Thank you very much, Rob, for the tip! I very much appreciate your insight and recommendations. I suppose I'll just have to try to balance leaving them alone with cautious preparation, and hope for the best.

Why do I feel so discouraged, even before the start?

 

[hibiscusmile]

Cause they dont like us! They wanna be outside where they and not with us. This is just their way of getting even