Expected mother?

[sarrant]

found this big girl outside and decided to bring her in. she looks to be getting quite a bit fatter everyday. could she be expecting some babies?

 

[Andrew]

Welcome to the forums! I'll just post what I posted over at AB.

All adult female mantids will lay ootheca(egg sacs). If she was wildcaught as an adult(adults have wings), then the ootheca she lays will almost certainly be fertile. The species you have is Tenodera sinensis.

 

[sarrant]

Welcome to the forums! I'll just post what I posted over at AB. All adult female mantids will lay ootheca(egg sacs). If she was wildcaught as an adult(adults have wings), then the ootheca she lays will almost certainly be fertile. The species you have is Tenodera sinensis.

how long do they keep em inside before laying?

 

[Andrew]

Generally 2-4 weeks. It varies between species.

 

[Rick]

That is an old girl. She may lay another ooth but she is near the end of her life span. She is showing signs of very old age with the broken off legs and such. If she lays an ooth give it 4-6 weeks. It will not hatch in two weeks.