Male won't mate :/

[macawlover2]

So I have a pair of Lineola mantids (raised from L2's from Rebecca!) that I've been trying to mate for several weeks now. Using Rick's method, I place the skittish male on a flat surface and wait for him to calm down, then put down Piggy (my female ) about 4 inches in front of him. With her distracted by a tasty cricket, it's set up for him to make his move. However, I think he's oblivious that she's even there!

Instead of hopping on, he looks around... cleans his feet... looks at me... gets distracted by anything moving nearby... I swear he's a little ADHD bug. :lol: Any suggestions on how to get him to jump on her and do the deed?

 

[massaman]

I would get a enclosure of some kind and put the female in it first and put in a cricket if you want her to divert her attention and then put the male in with her and close the enclosure and observe them both and he may make his move eventually as this is how I have done all of my mantis breedings and has worked very well as I put the female in the cage or enclosure and then the male and either they will mate or one of them or both may not want to and nothing will happen and then try again in a day or two!

 

[lancaster1313]

If your female is calm enough, you might try placing the male right on her back. It works sometimes, but he might just decide to sit there and do nothing, or get frightened and fly away. :lol:

There is the possibility that she could take him for a rodeo ride, I have had a few females take off running as soon as a male is on them.

 

[patrickfraser]

Yee Haw! I LOVE a good rodeo. I have a creobroter that is like that. But, when the rides over it gets more dangerous as she thrashes with her raptors backwards saying "GET OFF!". I'm amazed at how long they put up with that action, just to "get it".

Sounds like some couples I know.

I had a zebrata take a leisurely ride for 2 days and I never saw a connection.

But, then sometimes they jump right on and get to it. I guess the "mood" has to be right.

 

[Termite48]

You might also check the temperature. There are others on the Forum, who have way more experience than I do, and they say as well as I that what won't cause a mating as a temperature, will at an elevated temperature. This is just a thought that might cause success and is probably worth checking out. It is possible that with your Lineola pair, it won't be advantageous.

There are writings by others that suggest that perhaps a 90 degree F, at mating might enhance the probability of getting it done.

 

[kmsgameboy]

What I did when I mated my last mantids was put the female and male as far apart in my house has possible and left them there in their enclosures for about three days, then I took the male out of his enclosure and set him somewhere safe, next I put the female in to his enclosure with some food, I let her eat one insect and then gave her another to munch on, while she was eating the second insect I set the male back into his home with the female, whithin seconds they were busy making mantis babies! Goodluck!

 

[Termite48]

That is the way to do it, if the environment is othewise conducive to breeding.

 

[Ntsees]

The technique I use with my mantids: with one hand gently holding the female's forelegs (but do not let go) and the other hand holding the male, what I do is shove the male onto the female's back. Then, with the same hand I'm holding the male and pressing him on her back, I use my fingers to push the male's abdomen under the female's abdomen. If he's ready to mate, he'll try to connect. If he doesn't attempt to connect or has low vigor, I give up the mating attempt. If there's a connection, I slowly release the male and then the female. If the female doesn't show any annoyance with the male on her back, then I'm good. If she's annoyed, I give her something to munch on to distract her. If that doesn't work, then the male is a goner (but hey, at least you got the male to connect which should give some level of fertilization depending on how long you wanted to hold the female's forelegs). I don't have all the time in the world to watch my male slowly approach the female that's why I try to make them quickly get down to business.

 

[patrickfraser]

The technique I use with my mantids: with one hand gently holding the female's forelegs (but do not let go) and the other hand holding the male, what I do is shove the male onto the female's back. Then, with the same hand I'm holding the male and pressing him on her back, I use my fingers to push the male's abdomen under the female's abdomen. If he's ready to mate, he'll try to connect. If he doesn't attempt to connect or has low vigor, I give up the mating attempt. If there's a connection, I slowly release the male and then the female. If the female doesn't show any annoyance with the male on her back, then I'm good. If she's annoyed, I give her something to munch on to distract her. If that doesn't work, then the male is a goner (but hey, at least you got the male to connect which should give some level of fertilization depending on how long you wanted to hold the female's forelegs). I don't have all the time in the world to watch my male slowly approach the female that's why I try to make them quickly get down to business.

RAPE!!!

 

[macawlover2]

Wow, thank you SO MUCH for all the replies! You all offer great breeding strategies! I think I'll just go in order of posts with the different techniques, wish me luck! :lol:

 

[patrickfraser]

Good luck. Don't help to facilitate rape. If it is gonna happen, it will. If not, tomorrow never killed anyone. Wait, is it still today? I think tomorrow may have just that possibility on me.

 

[Ntsees]

RAPE!!!

There may come a time in the mantid hobby when your only male is unwilling to mate (especially for an expensive mantid or the mantid species you're working with), you're gonna have to do whatever it takes to make sure you have the next generation. But feel free to do whatever works.

 

[patrickfraser]

That's what the rapists say.

 

[kmsgameboy]

That's what the rapists say.

You guys crack me up! But anyway, let us know how things work out for ya!

 

[Findarato]

You guys crack me up! But anyway, let us know how things work out for ya!

Yes, it finally worked with my Alalomantis muta pair. 3 times during the last week I put the malebehind the female onto a ficus, and he just stared around and did not move. I ended up with putting them back into their enclosures. last night I tried again, and after shoving the male (a little, he is easily scared), he jumped on and it worked. Since it was 11 pm, I put the mesh cage over them (actually it is a laundry container from IKEA) and went to sleep. checked them at 5 am, they were still mating, and at 9 am I saw them sitting on the mesh, separated.

I would not interfere more than just nugding the males, and even my females are easily irritated if I touch them too much in that situation. So, from my side there will be no mantis rape attempts.

My Hierodulas also mated end of April, but until now nothing hatched from the ooths. I have one female and one male Hierodula left, but he never figured out what to do. The other males have died of old age by now. It is funny that last male which is as old (4 months adult), still lives and eats, but he would not look at a female. What's also funny, he sometimes bends his abdomen to one side, alone in his enclosure, but never with the females around.

My Pseudocreobotra females just molted to adult 2 days ago. When the 2 males still are around when these girls are ready, I will mate them also. But in 2-3 weeks at the earliest.

 

[lancaster1313]

I have tried the force mating with Chinese mantids, trying to push their abdomens around just seemed to confuse and frighten the males. It didn't work at all. :mellow:

Sometimes males are just not in the mood. The only difference was that my females were ready to mate and they would lay down their claws(in a submissive posture) and wait patiently for it to be done. I never had to hold any claws. The males were the ones who didn't feel like mating.

I had 2 males and 6 females, the males both died without ever mating.

 

[ismart]

Try letting your female walk past him, or have her back facing him while she walks away. Do not just palce her down and feed her. He needs to be stimulated, and feel secure to make a move. Good luck!

 

[crucis]

I've only mated two pairs before and both were rather long ago . But for what it's worth, in both cases i made sure the male was standing on one of the side walls of his enclosure looking straight downwards. Then i coaxed the female into the bottom of the enclosure (making sure she entered directly beneath where he is, in full view). If he still didn't notice her, I poked her (gently) with a 'tissue prod' until she moved enough to get his attention... I make sure her back is facing him at all times, if not i would abort the attempt

In both cases the male immediately climbed down and leapt onto her. I suspect this might work better than introducing them on a level surface