Feeling accomplished!

[minomantis]

So this is the first time that I was able to witness a new side of the mantis. The breeding and egg case laying! Since I was usually at college when all of this would usually happen this was completely new to me. This was definitely a learning experience and I can't wait to do it again!! Azura produced s healthy sized ooth and she's almost done.

I have a couple questions. I'm sure every mantis is different, but will she lay another ooth right away or will it take time? Also, I'm assuming she should be well fed the day after to give her her strength back. Thank you all for answering my questions and helping me!

 

[mantisman 230]

A couple weeks till the next one

 

[CosbyArt]

My females that laid ooths were quite hungry within 4 hours of laying a ooth, or 24 hours at most. I tend to give mine some easy meals afterwards as they tend to be weak from the experience - such GB/BB flies, moths with their wings partially clipped, or crickets with their large back legs broken at the knees. I fed them until they stopped/slowed down eating as they finally got filled, afterwards I return them to their typical meals.

The females would lay additional ooths about 1 week up to 3 weeks later, seems to depend on the species and how many ooths they have laid total (as they lay more ooths it seems they all slow down on their last few ooths). One of my mantids, Susanna, would lay an ooth every 8 days (she did about 6 in a row that way) until her final and 8th ooth took about a week longer than the rest.