how do i know when my female is calling

[sally]

How do I know if my female is calling? This is my first breeding attempt.

 

[hierodula]

in most species, the abdomen hangs away from the wings. Also, the female will move her abdomen segments together, as if expelling something. I dont know if i explained well. Someone else can help if what i say doesnt make sense

 

[twolfe]

Sally,

What species is it?

Malakyoma asked the same question on a thread RevWillie recently started.

Some of my females start calling around 9 - 10 pm. For others, the best way for me to tell is to get up in the middle of the night. Some of the bigger species are more obvious.

I copied this text and photo below from mantisonline because my link wasn't going directly to the photo.

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A soon as the eggs are ready to be fertilized, the female starts to secret pheromones. She is bending her abdomen to the ground to spray the pheromones.

 

[sally]

Thanks Tammy. I was reading about calling but I wasn't quite understanding . So it is only actions not a visual trail that we can see. It a creobroter pictipennis.

 

[Mime454]

I have a special ringtone for all my females.

 

[twolfe]

Hi Sally. No visual trail of the pheromones. That photo is of a Creobroter. So, you'll see it bending its abdomen up and down. Someone must have a video of this somewhere... If you wake up in the middle of the night like I do, get up and turn the light on and see if it's calling. How long has it been since your female molted? I think this species is ready to mate earlier than some. I left my second generation live communually, and one of the females mated as early as one week. Typically it was around two weeks for the rest. I shipped her to someone else. I assumed that ooth wasn't fertile, but it hatched.

 

[Malakyoma]

I have a special ringtone for all my females.

Dangit Mike.

Hi Sally. No visual trail of the pheromones. That photo is of a Creobroter. So, you'll see it bending its abdomen up and down. Someone must have a video of this somewhere... If you wake up in the middle of the night like I do, get up and turn the light on and see if it's calling. How long has it been since your female molted? I think this species is ready to mate earlier than some. I left my second generation live communually, and one of the females mated as early as one week. Typically it was around two weeks for the rest. I shipped her to someone else. I assumed that ooth wasn't fertile, but it hatched.

I see one of my griffin females calling all the time. Its basically the exact same as that photo you linked above. She likes to call around 10PM as well. Oddly enough she's the only one calling and isnt the one who has been adult the longest. There are two others here who molted before her who aren't calling yet.

 

[sally]

She is going on 2 weeks now. I will put them in separate rooms now and keep an eye on her. Thanks I am really excited about my first attempt at breeding