Hatching on Desk Shelf

[Katnapper]

I was in the bug room earlier for about 1/2 hour, puttering around checking on everyone, misting, feeding, etc. I went to grab the 2 Rhombodera basalis ooths off the desk shelf that I had them sitting on to mist them (hadn't gotten around to glueing them up in a container yet), and I suddenly noticed one of them had already started hatching! When I held it up to see, one little guy was hanging upside down by his back legs from the exuvia. There were a couple of dried-up looking ones on the paper towel I'd had the ooths sitting on. And a couple that hadn't even stretched out yet (but I'm concerned that they look like they may not now... after taking and viewing pics of them). And there appeared to be evidence of a few others hatching maybe... but not too many.

I grabbed my camera and took a few shots, then sped the ooth downstairs and glued it on to a deli-container lid and got the container set up. Has anyone else been caught glueing an ooth while it was hatching? Lol. It has been probably 1/2 hour since this all happened.... but there has been no further developments with the hatching. It appears to have stopped. Do you think it will continue hatching? Surely it's not done yet!??

Here's one of the pics I took... look at that little acrobat!

 

[ismart]

I would think that ooth is not done yet. I would deffinetly up the humidity if some appear to be getting stuck coming out of the ooth. Good luck!

 

[Katnapper]

Thanks, Paul! Two more nymphs came out/down from their "strings." When they had stretched out and come "undone" I took the ooth and cut the little acrobat guy from his tether. He couldn't go anywhere because his back legs were stuck to the exuvia. I then put some paper towel in the bottom of the cup, misted the ooth, and dampened the paper towel. When I was done doing all of this, I looked around where the ooth had lain... and I ended up finding about 10 babies hanging out on the undersides of 2 of the shelves! So I collected them all up and put in another cup, lol. The little acrobat ended up getting caught in a water droplet. He wasn't moving very well anyway... and he didn't survive. But the rest appear to be getting along just fine so far! Waiting for some more to hatch hopefully!

 

[robelgado]

Do you spray your ootheca directly?

 

[Katnapper]

Do you spray your ootheca directly?

Yes, I do.

 

[robelgado]

How often do you mist your ootheca?

I have an orchid ootheca that I spray indirectly every other day, give it a little mist the next time?

 

[Rick]

How often do you mist your ootheca?I have an orchid ootheca that I spray indirectly every other day, give it a little mist the next time?

You are fine with what you are doing as we discussed before. Misting directly offers no benefit but won't hurt anything.

 

[robelgado]

Allright good to know.

Down to 4 weeks and counting. Maybe as little as 3

 

[Katnapper]

No worries about more hatching... IT'S taking place! I'm finally witnessing a hatching live in progress... seeing the nymphs wiggle their way out of the ooth! hehe!!! I took a ton of pics... but had to take them through the plastic cup (not the best photo conditions). Hope at least some come out well. Will post some hopefully when I upload them. All I can think of is OMG... I'm soooo lucky and glad I noticed it at the beginning and got it glued up in a cup before they really started to unload! :lol: I had no idea it was that close to hatching!

 

[kamakiri]

Fun shot! B)

...too bad he didn't make it

You were smart to take the ooth out of the cup...I always hate shooting through plastic!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Hooray! hope u have lots!

 

[nasty bugger]

Where's my cigar?

I had an ooth of chinese hatching when I bought it, in a cup of shavings. Some made it, and some didn't. All I've had seem to be chinese, unless I'm just not aware and they're really european mantis' disguised as chinese. Clever buggers.

 

[revmdn]

Concrats! :lol:

 

[Emile.Wilson]

Loving the acrobat!

 

[yen_saw]

Great timing Becky by now there should be swarm of these little buggers running around looking for food. This species feed more often than other species. When food source is limited they will not hesitate eating her sibling eye balls as snack

 

[Katnapper]

Thank you all very much for the congratulations and wishes!! I'm pretty excited and happy with how it turned out.

Great timing Becky by now there should be swarm of these little buggers running around looking for food. This species feed more often than other species. When food source is limited they will not hesitate eating her sibling eye balls as snack

Yen, your comment made me stop reading the posts , run upstairs, and give the little boogers their first meal with no further delay! :lol: Thank you for the advice on the feeding... I really appreciate it.

 

[Katnapper]

Got some pics uploaded of the hatching....

(now if I could just catch up on all the things I need to upload and update my blog!)

 

[revmdn]

Very cool. Good luck!

 

[kamakiri]

Very interesting! Looks like the exuvium(sp?) has a little black skull cap! :lol: