I have two different cases involving diapause of ooths that I'm wondering about.
The first case concerns Stagmomantis carolina ooths. This past Fall (Sept./Oct./Nov.) a bunch of my wild caught, captive bred females laid ooths. I put them all into cold in the garage about the third week of October, and then as they were laid after that, except one (laid fairly early in the Fall)... which I glued up and incubated. I misted them weekly in the garage.
The one I incubated without any cold period hatched at the end of December (approx. 35 nymphs).
Situation #1 - Stagmomantis carolina ooths only given about 2-3 weeks diapause
During the first week of November I negotiated a trade, and sent half of the ones I'd started into diapause to "Person A." Person A glued them right up and started incubation. To this day, not one of them have hatched yet. I repeatedly mated all of the females, witnessed copulation, and also know at least several were positively fertile. I know they were fertile because I sent 3 of these mated females to Person B, and ooths they laid hatched (with no further mating). Also, the one I kept and incubated immediately without diapause hatched.
What I'm wondering is: If diapause is started, and only continued for a couple of weeks, then the ooths are put into incubation.... is there a chance that they might have needed a longer period of diapause (once it was started) to be viable? Can the reason for them not hatching yet be due to "interrupting" the necessary length of time in diapause, and putting them into incubation too early?
I just can't understand why these ooths haven't hatched!!! It's really got me befuddled! I would greatly appreciate any comments or insight on the situation.
Situation #2 - Stagmomantis carolina ooths given several months of diapause.
As part of another trade, I sent the other half of the S. carolina ooths (already in diapause since the 3rd week of Oct.) to Person C at the end of January 2009. Person C kept them in diapause until the middle to end of March, when they were put into incubation. They have not hatched yet, but should do so within the next 2-4 weeks I figure. Although I am fairly confident that the ooths are fertile, I now have a slight worry that maybe these also will not hatch just because of what is happening with Situation #1. I do however, feel much more confident as I know they were kept in diapause for a more appropriate length of time. I'm including this situation as a future comparison to Situation #1. Will update on this situation when the ooths start hatching, or enough time has gone by that I'm doubtful of hatching.
Situation #3 - Brunneria borealis ooth not hatching
I acquired a Brunneria borealis ooth in November. I did not put it into diapause and immediately glued it up and started incubating. It has never hatched. I'm wondering if this species ooth may indeed need a period of diapause to successfully hatch? Or since it was November, it was likely exposed to cooler temperatures before I received it. Maybe it also had started into diapause, and I broke the diapause period too soon?
With both Situation #1 and Situation #3 I'm wondering:
Can subsequent incubation after a short start to diapause cause fertile ooths not to hatch?
Can diapause be initiated now, after all this time, and possibly put the ooth back on track to hatch? Or is it too late? Do you think the interruption and shortness of time in diapause, then subsequent incubation, could have caused irreparable damage to the ooth and result in it not hatching?
I'd really like to know if anyone has any input or answers. Thank you!
The first case concerns Stagmomantis carolina ooths. This past Fall (Sept./Oct./Nov.) a bunch of my wild caught, captive bred females laid ooths. I put them all into cold in the garage about the third week of October, and then as they were laid after that, except one (laid fairly early in the Fall)... which I glued up and incubated. I misted them weekly in the garage.
The one I incubated without any cold period hatched at the end of December (approx. 35 nymphs).
Situation #1 - Stagmomantis carolina ooths only given about 2-3 weeks diapause
During the first week of November I negotiated a trade, and sent half of the ones I'd started into diapause to "Person A." Person A glued them right up and started incubation. To this day, not one of them have hatched yet. I repeatedly mated all of the females, witnessed copulation, and also know at least several were positively fertile. I know they were fertile because I sent 3 of these mated females to Person B, and ooths they laid hatched (with no further mating). Also, the one I kept and incubated immediately without diapause hatched.
What I'm wondering is: If diapause is started, and only continued for a couple of weeks, then the ooths are put into incubation.... is there a chance that they might have needed a longer period of diapause (once it was started) to be viable? Can the reason for them not hatching yet be due to "interrupting" the necessary length of time in diapause, and putting them into incubation too early?
I just can't understand why these ooths haven't hatched!!! It's really got me befuddled! I would greatly appreciate any comments or insight on the situation.
Situation #2 - Stagmomantis carolina ooths given several months of diapause.
As part of another trade, I sent the other half of the S. carolina ooths (already in diapause since the 3rd week of Oct.) to Person C at the end of January 2009. Person C kept them in diapause until the middle to end of March, when they were put into incubation. They have not hatched yet, but should do so within the next 2-4 weeks I figure. Although I am fairly confident that the ooths are fertile, I now have a slight worry that maybe these also will not hatch just because of what is happening with Situation #1. I do however, feel much more confident as I know they were kept in diapause for a more appropriate length of time. I'm including this situation as a future comparison to Situation #1. Will update on this situation when the ooths start hatching, or enough time has gone by that I'm doubtful of hatching.
Situation #3 - Brunneria borealis ooth not hatching
I acquired a Brunneria borealis ooth in November. I did not put it into diapause and immediately glued it up and started incubating. It has never hatched. I'm wondering if this species ooth may indeed need a period of diapause to successfully hatch? Or since it was November, it was likely exposed to cooler temperatures before I received it. Maybe it also had started into diapause, and I broke the diapause period too soon?
With both Situation #1 and Situation #3 I'm wondering:
Can subsequent incubation after a short start to diapause cause fertile ooths not to hatch?
Can diapause be initiated now, after all this time, and possibly put the ooth back on track to hatch? Or is it too late? Do you think the interruption and shortness of time in diapause, then subsequent incubation, could have caused irreparable damage to the ooth and result in it not hatching?
I'd really like to know if anyone has any input or answers. Thank you!
