Female Carolina possibly about to lay eggs, how do you tell?

[TheWolven]

So I was cutting up some fake grape vines for my mantis' terrarium (they look quite) and I set some that I butchered aside for her to hang out on. Then she started cleaning her ovipositor(?) and her abdomen started moving in a very not usual way. I'm new to mantids so I don't exactly have much experience. Pretty sure I saw some white stuff coming out too. She's been aggressively cleaning herself and now she is currently hang from a stick and looks like she's possibly getting started on laying an ooethca. I really cannot fully tell though. 

 

[Mystymantis]

Has she started laying an ootheca? If she is ready to she should start soon. It's very possible she is about to lay one. Usually you can tell if they are rather plump. When a female mantis lays an ootheca she will wiggle her abdomen slightly and use the two cerci on her abdomen to form the foam stuff and lay the eggs. It is rather fascinating to watch.

 

[hibiscusmile]

She should be done now, did she do it?

 

[TheWolven]

She should be done now, did she do it?

Nope. I'm not entirely sure what she was doing either since I didn't find any frass on the left below her. It's kinda concerning. 

 

[agent A]

she could have been releasing pheromones to attract a mate

 

[TheWolven]

she could have been releasing pheromones to attract a mate

Possibly so. She's pretty old though considering it's November. I'm just wondering if she's got one more ootheca in her or if she's done laying all her eggs. 

 

[agent A]

Possibly so. She's pretty old though considering it's November. I'm just wondering if she's got one more ootheca in her or if she's done laying all her eggs. 

remember these are creatures that would be killed by frost way before dying of old age, so she's probably just doing it reflexively

 

[TheWolven]

She's laid two ooths this past month!