H. Majuscula Ooth.

[Mvalenz]

I was visited by the ootheca fairy the other day. She laid it during a 4th of july party at my house. So everyone thought it was so cool. This ooth is tiny. Smaller than my budwing ooth. Are they all this small or is it just my mantis lays small ootheca?

 

[guapoalto049]

It sounds a bit small, what is the length of the ooth (base to top of zipper)? Realize though that budwing ooths are at the extreme end, being very large relative to the size of the mantid.

 

[patrickfraser]

Mine haven't been too large. I think the ooths are more "solid" than the more "airy" budwing ooths. Possibly due to weather conditions and what the ooths require in nature to survive. Who knows, but just a guess. The ooth may be more compact, but contain the same number of nymphs.

 

[guapoalto049]

Yeah you are right, they are pretty dense. Budwings are often from arid and sunny locations, so the foam is most likely to protect them from the sun and desiccation, similar to an Idolomantis or Blepharopsis.

Budwing hatches are more numerous, with much smaller nymphs. My majuscula have hatched ~110 each time, with budwings in the low 200s.

 

[Mvalenz]

It is an inch long and 3/4 of an inch thick.

 

[guapoalto049]

Yeah that's a bit small, my majuscula ooths are 1 3/8" long. Maybe your females are just smaller individuals though, my ooths come from females that are 9.5 cm when fat.

It is amazing to see the difference in ooth size of Chinese mantids that are 3.5" vs. 4".

 

[Mvalenz]

I only got about 30 budwing nymphs from my first ootheca.