How many ooths?

[Findarato]

How many fertile ooths will a mated female (Hierodula) produce? she has laid one a month ago, and both yesterday and this morning one each. before, she had 4, so she has laid 7 ooths in total. I really want something to hatch from these. The first 4 have dried out though, I just cut them open, since they were overdue since july.

another question: what do the black, glistening stripes between her abdominal segments mean? they appear before she lays, then almost disappear.

 

[LauraMG]

The stripes are probably markings that only show up when she's swollen. As for the ooths, who knows?! She may have more, she may not. Make sure and mist the ootheca with water every or every other day to keep them from drying out.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Was she mated when laying the other ooths? They should of hatched them, something is wrong here, if she was mated then, very unlikely she will have offspring now. :huh: All that is, is stretch marks from being full of eggs, it is normal.

 

[Findarato]

she was mated before the ooths, and the first 4 she laid before I got her from a friend. he told me he had forgotten the container on the balcony where it was exposed to the sun for hours (40 degrees Celsius, inside the container probably more). even the mantis had suffered from the heat that day, but she recovered. so I cannot say about the ooths' fertility since I believe they dried out because of the sun. and at my place she has produced 3 more, the oldest is now 5 weeks. If it is fertile, then it should hatch soon. I mist the container every day (on paper towel at the bottom, not the ooths directly).

My question was actually, if one mating can be sufficient for 7 ooths.

 

[LauraMG]

Well, it may hatch out babies, but there will be fewer. If you want a large number of babies you should breed her again with a male. The number of babies decreases with each ooth until they're mated again.

 

[Findarato]

thanks for clearing this up for me. unfortunately, I don't know anyone around here who has a male for her. the pet shops around don't have mantises, and I should go to one of the terrarium fairs in Vienna. The next one is end of November, so until then I will know about the ooths' fertility (and probably buy new mantises). My mantis is old, don't know how long she will live, she hatched on 15.2.