Umm... some of those other parthenogenetic species of mantises like the Miomantis paykullii actually make fertile oothecas when not mated often I think, not just rarely. And that list from UKmantisforums is almost certainly not nearly complete, or that's what I guess.
Yes, I have read from one person that when the Miomantis paykullii were not mated fewer babies came out of their oothecas than when mated.
Reading more of the article, and even looking through the mantis book I bought, it seems there are more questions than answers. It doesn't seem to be a cut and dry issue really for any species after all.
For example if someone had a female mantis that never mated they wouldn't bother to try incubating those ooths, but what if they did - I wonder how many of those would hatch some nymphs.
Or even still the ooths that people give up incubating as it is beyond the normal hatch time, how many of those would hatch too eventually. One of my Carolina ooths is at the 10 week mark now and two nymphs hatched from it just yesterday (hopefully more will soon).
Then out of the ooths that are hatched normally how many of those are from a unfertilized ooth - but as some hatched, even a low number, it is within the 20-100 nymph guidelines and is overlooked as a normal fertile ooth.
It is interesting to think about, especially as even if someone knows a ooth was unfertilized and it hatched how many would mention it, or how many would hear of it anyways.
Your right that the Paykullii can be parthenogenetic too. My book says if no males are around to mate, the ooths will still hatch (just all female and low numbers). There are also a few other species that seem to be possible as well but not confirmed. What a strange world.
Too bad ooths are so expensive to buy, and they take so long to hatch normally, it would be a interesting to test what species can be parthenogenetic given various incubation techniques and times. Or better yet buying several immature females of many species to ensure they are not mated and test those ooths for better results.
