Idolomantis diabolica
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angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
I would start with a male and a female put on some romantic music, turn the lights down low, and make sure he doesn't wear a condom. :lol: :clown: ing around
Colorcham427
Well-known member
Maybe we could actually respect a member with a serious question and answer with something useful.
This is a species that I would love to see more of in culture, and Rick has been doing well with them.
First off, how long have they been adult bro?
Are you keeping them a lone with a visible barrier? These mantids seem to get more and more territorial by the age, which makes sense to me.
Temp.? I have been told that 105 degrees is good for a breeding temp.
Has your female been acting differently? Walking around more, been more active as usual?
I'd love to see Chris and Yen come on this thread. They have bred this species before, not sure who else has in the US that is active on this forum?
If you have a nice camera take a video clip of them behaving prior to copulation please!
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They are seperate and in the low 90's temp wise. I can crank up their temps no problem. My male is very quick to strike a threat pose when he sees the female, not sure if that is a good thing with these or not.
angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
Sorry just trying to make Rick laugh, not sure if he laughs enough? can't bug talk have some humor? anyway I have some L1-L2 Idolo nymphs myself and I could use the breeding info also.
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mantisboy
Well-known member
angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
are you puting the female into the male cage, I think that is the best way he has the advantage to jump down on her.
Colorcham427
Well-known member
sorry I should lighten up. 
How are things going Rick? Are you trying more than once a day?
How are things going Rick? Are you trying more than once a day?
Ntsees
Well-known member
What about just manually placing the male on the female's back and having their abdomens touch? Are they too sensitive/vulnerable that that method shouldn't be used?
I will try that eventually if they don't get together on their own. I have done that on many other mantids. The only problem may be that these go into threat posture at the slightest provocation.
Schloaty
Well-known member
Are you sure the female is ready?
Doesn't it take while before the start emitting pheremones?
I would think if she "smelled good," he would jump right on.
I have VERY little experience breeding, but my ONE success was when I took them both out of their cages, and put them on a houseplant. I put the male behind the female - couple of inches.
He just looked at her for a few minutes, "smelling" with his antenea, then he pounced (and I mean POUNCED).
Doesn't it take while before the start emitting pheremones?
I would think if she "smelled good," he would jump right on.
I have VERY little experience breeding, but my ONE success was when I took them both out of their cages, and put them on a houseplant. I put the male behind the female - couple of inches.
He just looked at her for a few minutes, "smelling" with his antenea, then he pounced (and I mean POUNCED).
Entomo-logic
Well-known member
I have not worked with Idolomantis long and in fact only have 15 L3-L4s that I received from Yen a few weeks ago. However I have worked with Gongylus for almost 3 years now and have made many observations on breeding habits of these very closely related Empusids. When my females are ready ie well fed, big abdomens, the heat is just right {101-105 degrees Fahrenheit}, and the male has been away from her for 1-3 days)I place the male in with the female. If she is ready she lifts her wings slightly and starts pumping her abdomen at which point i can see a small lining around her genitalia kind of pulsate, this i believe is some pheromone being emitted to call over a good looking guy. When the male senses this pheromone he will SLOWLY stalk her and then at just the right time hop on her back and hold on for dear life but she is usually very receptive and in a kind of trance at this point.
I Disagree with the method of introducing the female to the male's enclosure because if you look at the Empusidae family of mantids (and several other mantid families) you notice a trend that males often have well developed wings and are flighted where as females have greatly reduced wings. This is the case because the females sit and call for the male and the male comes searching for the female, so I think introducing the female into the males enclosure may just be freaking the poor guy out thinking she is coming to eat him or something but placing the male in the females enclosure and letting him go to her is MUCH more natural.
Good Luck!
I Disagree with the method of introducing the female to the male's enclosure because if you look at the Empusidae family of mantids (and several other mantid families) you notice a trend that males often have well developed wings and are flighted where as females have greatly reduced wings. This is the case because the females sit and call for the male and the male comes searching for the female, so I think introducing the female into the males enclosure may just be freaking the poor guy out thinking she is coming to eat him or something but placing the male in the females enclosure and letting him go to her is MUCH more natural.
Good Luck!
Colorcham427
Well-known member
Very interesting. The ability for some males to take flight does make sense to me now.
As Brian asked before... How old are they? When I had mine, the female was adult before the male so I had to wait as some say, 3 weeks after the male was adult, but I saw the male not ready so I put them apart, later I had to travel out becuse my work for a period of 3 weeks aprox, after I came back I put them togheter for one night long and the male was very active, unfurtunately when I woke up the male was on the floor and the female was hanging from the top of the lid fo the enclousure.
I could suggest to wait a week more and try again.
saludos
I could suggest to wait a week more and try again.
saludos
As Brian asked before... How old are they? When I had mine, the female was adult before the male so I had to wait as some say, 3 weeks after the male was adult, but I saw the male not ready so I put them apart, later I had to travel out becuse my work for a period of 3 weeks aprox, after I came back I put them togheter for one night long and the male was very active, unfurtunately when I woke up the male was on the floor and the female was hanging from the top of the lid fo the enclousure.
I could suggest to wait a week more and try again.
saludos
I could suggest to wait a week more and try again.
saludos
Ntsees
Well-known member
It just depends what works for you. The reason why I would introduce the female to the male and not the other way around is so that the male will notice the female first (for mating purposes). If it was the other way around and the female noticed the male first, the male will not be able to stalk or sneak up without the female noticing. When that happens, he stands a good chance of becoming a meal (whether or not he actually does get his job done). Because of that, I always never let my females notice the male, but when she does, I make her focus on something else.
Yes, it's true that the majority of the time, males fly to females in nature via pheromones. When that happens though, there is nothing that distracts the male and it is focused on finding the female. In the case of manually introducing a male to a female, the male may be distracted by the person putting him into the female's enclosure and it's not focused on trying to find a female (it doesn't know that you are trying to put him with a female). I'm not saying that introducing a male to a female will not allow for successful mating, it's just that that method puts the male at risk.
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