Hymenopus coronatus orchid mate on back but no sucess in contact

[Peter Clausen]

I've got a breeding pair of orchids together this week as well. At the moment they're outside getting some raw sunlight. I always feed the female before placing the male on her back in the exact bamboo-skewer method that Rebecca described so well. Only when she is actively eating do I do this. I took some video of it the other day, but don't have it processed yet. Also, as Rebecca described he will side-saddle her to a point it appears he is going to fall off or be eaten if she turns. And his abdomen is extremely flexible to make up for imperfect positioning.

Though he did mate with her last week, I've reintroduced him to her again this week. He does seem to have lost his ability to place himself in a suitable position, though I don't monitor the moment to moment movements since I've already observed coitus once.

I do keep an infrared heat lamp above the mating pair and the gravid female in general.

Since he is your only male, I'd definitely pull him out of the cage for a day's break every other day. Mine mated within an hour of introduction the first time, however the female was about 2 months matured before the male (born of the same clutch but kept cool and on a restricted diet).

I don't recall, but did you say how long your female has been mature?

 

[Rick]

In my experience, I have seen that using a different male is often the answer, and also, if the male is just sitting there, get the female crawling around because I have seen males sit on females and when she starts moving, he starts trying to connect.

Have you kept this species?

 

[davestreasurechest]

This is my first time with this species.

mounting her is not the issue

him and wanting too and trying deligentlly is not the issue

this is the only male and female orchid i have

she is now 3 1/2 weeks adult

he is about est 3 + months matured

thank you all for your advice and comfort and prayers,

just hopeing and waiting till he does , i may remove him again for a few more days ,if nothing happends today

Have you kept this species?

 

[Rick]

This is my first time with this species.mounting her is not the issue

him and wanting too and trying deligentlly is not the issue

this is the only male and female orchid i have

she is now 3 1/2 weeks adult

he is about est 3 + months matured

thank you all for your advice and comfort and prayers,

just hopeing and waiting till he does , i may remove him again for a few more days ,if nothing happends today

I was asking agent A if he had kept these before.

 

[jarek]

I have the same problem, I will try and put the m into seperate rooms for few day, then I'm gonna feed up the female and reintroduce them my younger female is 20 days after the final moult, and the younger male 26 days after his final shed he does seem to be interested in her, but when he try to mate he can't conect properly, he did make a connection once with the older female but he let go afte a second and I don't know what's with that

 

[hibiscusmile]

I make sue she is eating too, forgot to mention that, usually I get a moth, or superworm or wasp for her, so she has something to keep her interest, every now and then they will stop eating and turn to see what the heck is going on, and usually will return to eating, if she doesnt I take him away, sometimes they will drop the food I think from being scared when seeing this new site, but not really sure what they are thinking.

 

[davestreasurechest]

I put Chris back in with Sarah the other day , and this morning before work, They were mateing !!!!!!!!!!

So i have to say thanks for all the support and ,...Yo Chris you the Man-----tis!

they mated for about 4+ hours,.

 

[davestreasurechest]

I was wondering , do you ahve to remate them after the ooth is laid each time? or all ooths fertile?

 

[Katnapper]

I was wondering , do you ahve to remate them after the ooth is laid each time? or all ooths fertile?

No, you do not have to re-mate. The female is now fertile for more than one ooth. Sometimes people like to re-mate after the second or third ooth just for good measure; but it's not really necessary.

 

[davestreasurechest]

Just wondering ? she is 3 1/2 weeks adult and now pregnant ,when should i expect her to lay her first ooth?

 

[hibiscusmile]

she has always been pregnant! just now fertile, usually between 6 and 8 weeks.

 

[Borya]

In my experience, mating may last up to 6 hours.

But have you ever seen the male leaving female's back on his own accord? I didn't. When I put him away manually after mating, it looked like he definitely don't like to be taken away, and now I very doubt that I did the right thing.

Considering to the fact that male can catch prey while staying on female's back (I didn't see this among other species), I don't see any reason for him to leave such a safety place at all, that's because the bigger female can protect from other predators (wasps or other mantids), either carry to better hunting sites, like orchid flowers. While there are insects of different size coming to the flowers, female can take down larger ones, and male can feed on smaller, thus making no rivality.

 

[Katnapper]

In my experience, mating may last up to 6 hours. But have you ever seen the male leaving female's back on his own accord? I didn't. When I put him away manually after mating, it looked like he definitely don't like to be taken away, and now I very doubt that I did the right thing.

Considering to the fact that male can catch prey while staying on female's back (I didn't see this among other species), I don't see any reason for him to leave such a safety place at all, that's because the bigger female can protect from other predators (wasps or other mantids), either carry to better hunting sites, like orchid flowers. While there are insects of different size coming to the flowers, female can take down larger ones, and male can feed on smaller, thus making no rivality.

These seem like some very good points, Borya. And also, maybe he just wasn't done yet.

 

[Rick]

I am having the same thing right now. Male has been on for most of the day. He is drumming and scooting down and his abdomen is even bending some but so far no connection. I'm just going to leave him there until I go to bed.

 

[davestreasurechest]

I watched her try to flick him off but he is pretty smart ,and i believe a safe place for him,now that i have seen them mate alot of the presure and worry is off my mind, i have noticed now that her "butt" is curling or faceing up more and easier for him to do it , I am assumeing this is normal female development, HIBISCUSMILE said 6 to 8 weeks to lay ooth but wondering is that 6 to 8 weeks from adulthood or from mateing?

Rick, I left him on for 3 days at a time and removed him for fly and water and on the 3rd try he did it ,dont know how but he did ,i will probably try to mate them again just to make sure she is good and fertile ,before he dies he is however pretty old,..hope things work out for you as well ,...

I am having the same thing right now. Male has been on for most of the day. He is drumming and scooting down and his abdomen is even bending some but so far no connection. I'm just going to leave him there until I go to bed.

 

[Rick]

No go tonight. I removed him. I can't risk him, he is the only male. Sucks because she is going to lay an ooth any day now.

 

[davestreasurechest]

in that case you have nothing to lose , is her butt angled up?

No go tonight. I removed him. I can't risk him, he is the only male. Sucks because she is going to lay an ooth any day now.

 

[davestreasurechest]

sorry i guess you have more females, how old is your male?

 

[Borya]

Forgot to say, all species of mantids I've kept mate rather successfully when they have UV from L1 to adult (Repti-Glo 5, Sera Terra UV).

 

[Rick]

sorry i guess you have more females, how old is your male?

One male and one female. I've kept these before and they have always been slow to mate.