Intro and advice requested

[Sarafina]

Hello, I have 4 adult Tenodera Sinensis and 3 are very big females. One female has some injuries but has been doing well with being hand fed live crickets and wild honey. I don't know what has caused her to lose some "toes" on different legs. I have not been exposing them to sunlight or heat lamps, so how long do they need exposure and what is best man made source to do so? Due to schedule and such I don't always get to take care of their needs while the sun is out. Also, if the females do lay eggs, how can I keep them from hatching until next spring?

I have a little nymph that just molted but do not think it is the same type. It has some striped legs and speckles on the back. Was more light green before the molt and now more sandy colored. Any ideas?

I am from the Tri-state area of IL, KY, and IN. Thank you ^.~ Nice to see so many posts on these amazing cuties!

 

[Rick]

Welcome.

I've noticed that very old mantids will lose the tarsus at the ends of their legs. Sometimes these areas get trapped in enclosure lids and get broken off too.

I don't think you need to expose them to direct sunlight. Any artificial light will be fine. If you really want something that mimics natural sunshine closely look into a good reptile bulb like a reptisun or something similar.

In order to delay hatching of your ooths you will need to place them outdoors or in the fridge.

Not sure on your nymph, you would need to post a picture. Color is not useful in determining species.

 

[CosbyArt]

Greetings from Indiana, and welcome to the forum

Rick has covered it all.

I'll just add for light I've used standard light bulbs in desk lamps, then moved to fluorescent lighting (and now they have day/grow/sun bulbs in them) - they do fine with any light. It's recommend though you give them the same amount of light they would receive in the wild. I give mine a summer cycle of 14 hours of light and 8 hours of dark, and they are on a automatic timer.

 

[hibiscusmile]

The lighter mantis is prob religiosa, the girls unless mated wont have ooths that hatch.

 

[happy1892]

Welcome to the forum. The one that turned a more sandy color with stripes on its legs could be a Stagmomantis carolina. Not many types of mantises found in your area (in or near/around Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana). Stagmomantis carolina is the only mantis there that I know of that has stripped legs.

 

[rbird]

I have a little nymph that just molted but do not think it is the same type. It has some striped legs and speckles on the back. Was more light green before the molt and now more sandy colored. Any ideas?

Hi welcome to the forum,

I want to see these stripes and speckles, pictures are good things.

 

[Sarafina]

Thanks for the advice. Been battling a wicked sinus issue and taking care of the mantids. I started put the females outside on a bush in the backyard apart from each other and after a while I got 3 ooths. I suppose I should leave them be so they will hatch after the winter right? One of my females I could not find a couple nights ago. She was acting tired before she laid her ooth. She even bit me one night when I brought her inside after being out on the bush. I don't know if she got away or something got her. I will post pics when I can. The other two females are getting big again, do they lay more ooths without mating? I know they can store sperm but I thought they deposit it as they make the ooth.

 

[happy1892]

I suppose I should leave them be so they will hatch after the winter right?

Yes, if you leave them outside they will hatch in the spring, maybe around April or May.

The other two females are getting big again, do they lay more ooths without mating? I know they can store sperm but I thought they deposit it as they make the ooth.

Yes, after mating just once they lay several fertile ooths, though I have read that each ootheca a female mantis lays after mating just once will be smaller than the last one laid. So it could be a good idea to mate a female again after she lays a couple oothecae.

 

[dmina]