M. religiosa diapause/breeding 2009 season

[Zelthan]

I cant make my males mate with females, females have been adult for 2 weeks now any sugestion?

 

[hierodula]

nymphs ..... dead

 

[Katnapper]

I cant make my males mate with females, females have been adult for 2 weeks now any sugestion?

Wait a week and try again... it's about the only thing you can do.

nymphs ..... dead

Sorry to hear that. Maybe you'll get some more this season yet...

 

[kamakiri]

Finally...an update from my 2008 ooths. One nymph hatched today from Berta's ooth number 4. Just one, but I'm hoping for more soon. I'll have to double-check the dates, but I think that one was laid about 10/30/08.

 

[kamakiri]

Any updates? Anyone?

While I've raised a couple of generations of Europeans, I think I will be taking a break from them at least until next year...

Just by the numbers, I seem to be doing a heck of a lot better with the locally available and desert tolerant species.

 

[MantidLord]

Yeah, I have two adult females (one hopefully pregnant), one sub-adult female and one sub-adult male. Hopefully the male can make it with the two (and possibly three) females before getting devoured. I hope I have success. And yeah, desert species are a lot easier. My Iris oratoria almost survive anything.

 

[massaman]

whats best way to store these ooths and or chinese when wanting to hatch them next year just put them in the fridge or just store them in the garage!

 

[kamakiri]

Yeah, I have two adult females (one hopefully pregnant), one sub-adult female and one sub-adult male. Hopefully the male can make it with the two (and possibly three) females before getting devoured. I hope I have success. And yeah, desert species are a lot easier. My Iris oratoria almost survive anything.

Good luck to your religiosa male! Yeah, my oratoria are pretty hardy! No water, and intermittent feeding...no problem! The only casualties were from cannibalism and rare mismolts. I had one that was molting in tight quarters that was coming out nearly sideways!

whats best way to store these ooths and or chinese when wanting to hatch them next year just put them in the fridge or just store them in the garage!

I've put them in the fridge when it's warm and out in the garage when it's in the 50s and low 60s or below.

 

[MantidLord]

Yeah same thing here with oratorias. Though I have had the occasional mystery deaths. But those are rare compared to the stories I hear about other species. Mantis religiosa is an awesome species though, I just hope I have success with the nymphs if I even make it that far.

 

[hierodula]

another summer, another chance. i was lucky i found a L4 female nymph and raised to adult, and i found a adult male while looking out my window. my female was adult when i found him, and the male appeared shiny, so i caught him.yay

 

[kamakiri]

another summer, another chance. i was lucky i found a L4 female nymph and raised to adult, and i found a adult male while looking out my window. my female was adult when i found him, and the male appeared shiny, so i caught him.yay

Congrats! You're lucky to have them out and about!

No other updates on the asian subspecies? Borya? ismart? Anyone else?

 

[sbugir]

I just caught a gravid female, whom i saw a few days ago mating, do the ooths need a diapause state or can i hatch em right away?

Thanks

 

[MantidLord]

Earlier this morning my mated female finally laid an oothecae! . It's about 1.5 inches long and .5 inches wide across. She's all ready eaten three crickets since she laid last night. The only question is (and a rather novice one), where should I put the ooth? I'm thinking about putting it outside but since they aren't abundant in my area that might not work. I also thought about keeping them in room temperature but I don't know what type of negative side effects could come up. And finally, the fridge, which I would put them in there but I'm uncertain as to how frequently I should mist the container so the eggs don't dry out. Right now it is still in the container with the female. Thanks in advance.

 

[kamakiri]

I just caught a gravid female, whom i saw a few days ago mating, do the ooths need a diapause state or can i hatch em right away?Thanks

Diapause is necessary, unless you have a subspecies that doesn't require it. But since yours was wild caught in the states...I'm sure yours will.

Look for borya's posts earlier in this thread. You might be able to get away with a really short period before going to incubation.

 

[kamakiri]

Earlier this morning my mated female finally laid an oothecae! . It's about 1.5 inches long and .5 inches wide across. She's all ready eaten three crickets since she laid last night. The only question is (and a rather novice one), where should I put the ooth? I'm thinking about putting it outside but since they aren't abundant in my area that might not work. I also thought about keeping them in room temperature but I don't know what type of negative side effects could come up. And finally, the fridge, which I would put them in there but I'm uncertain as to how frequently I should mist the container so the eggs don't dry out. Right now it is still in the container with the female. Thanks in advance.

Congrats! After laying, it does seem normal for them to gorge themselves on more food!

I'd say don't worry about the misting. I've had un-misted religiosa ooths still hatch ~100%. They usually require higher humidity when it starts hatching, otherwise many will get stuck. So I'd start misting once the ooth is out of the fridge.

If yours were wild caught from your area, I don't see why you couldn't just leave it outside...

 

[hierodula]

my female fell a little sick, so im handfeeding her various crushed insects and honey and she is slowly getting fatter and stronger

 

[MantidLord]

Congrats! After laying, it does seem normal for them to gorge themselves on more food!I'd say don't worry about the misting. I've had un-misted religiosa ooths still hatch ~100%. They usually require higher humidity when it starts hatching, otherwise many will get stuck. So I'd start misting once the ooth is out of the fridge.

If yours were wild caught from your area, I don't see why you couldn't just leave it outside...

Thanks, So I should just put it in the fridge for a couple of weeks? And these were caught in Northern California. I've only seen two Europeans out here but never near where I live now. So I'm guessing theirs a reason for that. And also, my subadult male finally molted to an adult today.

 

[kamakiri]

Thanks, So I should just put it in the fridge for a couple of weeks? And these were caught in Northern California. I've only seen two Europeans out here but never near where I live now. So I'm guessing theirs a reason for that. And also, my subadult male finally molted to an adult today.

I think a couple of weeks in the fridge should do it. Shortest I've done is three weeks in case you want to do that.

 

[ismart]

Congrats! You're lucky to have them out and about! No other updates on the asian subspecies? Borya? ismart? Anyone else?

I have been meaning to update this awhile now. Sorry about that

I ended up with 10 adult male Mantis religiosa siedleckii, and 7 adult females. I did mange to breed each female about two or three times apiece. I ended up with about 15 normal looking ooths and almost twice as many partial or deformed ooths. I'm really not sure why this was going on. It's been about two months already sice the last female has passed away. I'm now wating to see if any of these ooths will hatch without any diapause. I am not very hopefull though. I have had some of these ooths incubating for a couple of months already and nothing has hatched. I will hold onto them for a few more weeks before cutting into them just to be safe.

 

[kamakiri]

I have been meaning to update this awhile now. Sorry about that I ended up with 10 adult male Mantis religiosa siedleckii, and 7 adult females. I did mange to breed each female about two or three times apiece. I ended up with about 15 normal looking ooths and almost twice as many partial or deformed ooths. I'm really not sure why this was going on. It's been about two months already sice the last female has passed away. I'm now wating to see if any of these ooths will hatch without any diapause. I am not very hopefull though. I have had some of these ooths incubating for a couple of months already and nothing has hatched. I will hold onto them for a few more weeks before cutting into them just to be safe.

That doesn't sound too promising...especially the deformed ooth part. So far, for me, the deformed ones only came from unmated "egg purging". But assuming that some of the earliest ones are at least 3+ months old...that's not a good sign.

Which leads me to one suspicion about M. religiosa...is that they are not very tolerant of inbreeding. Just a suspicion, but I thought I'd throw it out there.