Males first?

[Termite48]

Now that I am in the middle of raising a batch of H. coronatus, I am wondering something that someone here on the Forum may have answered. Please let me know if this has been tried. I cannot see myself doing it because I am leaving for the weekend and by the time I return there will be many more nymphs having molted to L-2. It is a given that with this species there is an extra molt for the females. There is also a gigantic bimorphism exhibited with this species. My question is this. If all the nymphs are given the same conditions, are the first to molt to L-2 going to be males? Could this be why some of us have been accused of sending only males to people? Actually the reverse has been the thinking that some of us who raise Orchids actually select out females and send them to Forum members and other buyers so that we who are breeding control the breeding process with having all the males. This is totally bunk. The matter is still in question, that perhaps it is the males that molt first so that they should be selected out and slowed down if that works into one's plan. Reply if you have a thought regarding this matter.

Thanks,

Rich S in SoCal

 

[twolfe]

Rich,

I actually thought someone once thought you intentionally held back the males and only shipped her female nymphs. Later I noticed that person posting an ad to look for females. So, perhaps she may have sexed them wrong.

Don't the females have two extra molts? I've only hatched one ooth that I got from a good friend . I sold some and gave some to a friend. I ended up keeping around 20 of them, and the majority of them turned out to be males. (I forget the exact numbers now, but I think that of the ones that made it, I ended up with around 15 males.) I've wondered if the opposite of what you said was true. Did more of the females molt first, and I ended up shipping several of them, leaving me with mostly males? Or were there just an usually high percentage of males from that ooth. This was almost two years ago when there didn't seem to be a shortage of males.

Tammy

 

[Termite48]

This is the question. Is it the males because they finish first and are ahead from the get go? Or is it the females first because they have a longer journey and need a head start. Perhaps I will later in the day, separate out the first five molted nymphs and keep an eye on these to see how the sexing turns out. Thanks Tammy for you recollections and thoughts.

 

[sally]

My males molted first. I don't know if this is the general rule, but I only hatched five so it was easy to keep track. The first ones to molt turned out to be male. I just received a few newly hatched nymphs and again 1 molted first. I am pretty sure it is a male. I will let you know in a few more molts if I am certain.

 

[Termite48]

This kind of feedback is good to share so that we as hobbyists (not scientists) can progress in our knowledge and understanding of this marvelous insect. Thanks Pat!

 

[twolfe]

This is the question. Is it the males because they finish first and are ahead from the get go? Or is it the females first because they have a longer journey and need a head start. Perhaps I will later in the day, separate out the first five molted nymphs and keep an eye on these to see how the sexing turns out. Thanks Tammy for you recollections and thoughts.

It would be interesting to put several L1s each into their own deli cup and then mark the dates of the molts and then see what *** is once they are large enough. As you probably know since you already mentioned we are hobbyists and not scientists, It would be hard to do a true scientific test though without giving them the same amount of food, heat, humidity, etc. But if you had enough nymphs you might be able to answer your question.

(Hope this makes sense. I spent too much time out in the cold today.)

I wish there were more of this beautiful species in culture in the US.

 

[Termite48]

Tammy: I did that very thing. I placed the very first nine nymphs to molt to L-2 in a separate deli cup. They all get the same treatment. I will try to keep track of the date and the disposition of these nymphs. I am in no position now to keep too many as I need the $.

Thanks,

Rich