Mediterranean Mantis Life Cycle

[[email protected]]

Hello!

I live in AZ and I have about 11 egg sacs (in the fridge) from my beloved late Mandy I and Mandy II. (I found them in my garden and they were outdoor pets until it became too cold).

I was wondering when to try and hatch their eggs outside so that their babies will not lay eggs too early. This year, I lost about 5 egg sacs worth of nymphs because they hatched in September and October.

Does anyone know, how long will it take before a nymph Mediterranean Mantis becomes adult and then how long does it take for the adult lay their own eggs?

Thank you!

 

[Ntsees]

As Ranitomeya said in your other post, it depends on the conditions they live in. In a warm environment with abundant food, they'll grow faster than those that don't have access to those things. To avoid them hatching out early, leave them outside or put them in the fridge. Hmm...Arizona sure does have different weather conditions. Where I'm at, September is the month where most of the mediterranean become adults. Let's see, mines usually hatch out in May, become adults in August/September, and usually lay ooths about 2-3 weeks later. I don't know how long the ooth incubation period is (since I let mines hatch with the season). Perhaps you can backtrack to get an estimate of when your wild mediterraneans may have hatched.

 

[I_love_mantids]

wow. never knew mediterraneans lived in she us

 

[I_love_mantids]

the U.S. sorry, was typing too fast

 

[Vlodek]

Can you send some pictures of Mandy 1/2 or the ooths? I'm just really curious what is the mysterious species of mantis that you have.

 

[Extrememantid]

Can you send some pictures of Mandy 1/2 or the ooths? I'm just really curious what is the mysterious species of mantis that you have.

I'm pretty sure it's iris oratoria

 

[[email protected]]

I have pictures on an old phone. It might take a couple days, but I'll figure out how to get the pictures up. I had them identified from a nursery and a pet store as Mediterranean. But I am not sure that they are pathogenic yet, so, I'm not sure.

I think someone let their science experiment out here a few years ago, now the mantids love the hot weather. Each of my Mandy's laid 9 egg sacs before their demise. I gave most eggs away.

So, they actually grow faster the more food and warm weather they have? My Mandy's were adult in late June and died early January. They must have grown into adults fast.

Thanks for all the help! I love these bugs!

 

[Ranitomeya]

We have Iris oratoria here in California. They're an introduced species that've been around for quite a while.

 

[Ntsees]

...But I am not sure that they are pathogenic yet, so, I'm not sure....

They are known to be parthogenetic.

...So, they actually grow faster the more food and warm weather they have? My Mandy's were adult in late June and died early January. They must have grown into adults fast.
Thanks for all the help! I love these bugs!

Yes, they may have grown fast (I'm sure there's a limit to how fast they can grow too) but that might not be all to it. I've never lived in Arizona, but you can comment on the weather part. I think since Arizona gets warmer early on, the mantids may have hatched earlier. If yours were adult in late June, minus about ~4 1/2 months, they probably hatched around February <----- a rough estimate.

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, my Mandys were probably hatched in February. Any earlier and they would have died from the frost. Here in AZ, the last couple of years it froze overnight a few times in December and January. The days are warm and the nights are cold. It is amazing how they can survive it the hot, hot, hot dry, weather in the summer when it can reach 115 degrees. I wish I could post their pictures. They were so beautiful.

I just bought an aquarium to hatch a couple nymphs for pets. I bought a 50 watt bulb. Is that good?

Should I mist? They are used to dry weather, I don't know if too much humidity would hurt them or get moldy.

The ooths are long and skinny. I wonder how many babies? Once I get a new phone, I put those pictures up.

What should I get for them to molt on?

Are the babies as loving as the adults?

 

[Ranitomeya]

It is fine to give them humidity as long as you provide sufficient ventilation. It's usually easiest to put them in something with a lot of ventilation and give them a very fine misting every day or multiple times a day depending on the levels of moisture.

If you plan on using the light bulb as a heat source, make sure you get a thermometer and check how warm it gets in the enclosure under the lighting. Move the light further away if it's too hot. A temperature around the mid 80s at the highest would be best. If the temperature inside your house is above the mid-70s, it might not be necessary to give them additional heat. Be aware that the heat will dry out the enclosure faster and you'll need to mist more frequently.

The ootheca is long and skinny, but it can hatch out quite a few nymphs--there can be as few as just one or as many as a few dozen depending on the ootheca.

Provide them with a lot of horizontal perches under which they can molt from--this can be provided using sticks, paper towels, or fabric attached to the underside of the lid.

The babies start out a little skittish, but as they grow larger they should become calmer.

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you so much for your advise. However, I found a little miracle in my weeds today! So, I don't know weather to keep him or not?

I found a 3.5 cm male baby mantis! He is very skinny and a beige color. I put him on my hanging plant inside for now, and he seems just as docile my late female Mandys were. It is about 75 degrees out today, and will be about 40 degrees out tonight. Since he is obviously not newly hatched, he must have found somewhere to hide when it froze out.

I am thinking that he might do better on his own since he survived this long. He had to have hatched in October or November. That means he is 3-4 months old. But he looks so small!

I would hate to put him in a cage, after he has been free. I guess I'm just worried about the cats, cold, and. . . There is still danger of frost.

should I keep him?

 

[[email protected]]

I put him outside on my wall under the light to see what he would do. He hasn't moved. It is getting cold out now. I can't believe that he has survived in such cold weather. I'm afraid to put him back in the weeds where I found him.

 

[Ranitomeya]

If it's been in the 70s outside during the day, it's likely that nymphs may have hatched out a while ago and managed to tough it out in cooler than optimal weather. Pretty neat find. I hope you find more.

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you! I did let him go. I feel sad now. I can't find him again. He was beautiful!

 

[[email protected]]

I did find a green dangling sac from a blade of grass. I can't tell what it is. it is 3/4 of an inch long. Of all the mantis molting pictures I have seen, you can tell they are praying mantids. When they molt, are their legs always positioned separately from their bodies, or can the legs be tucked inside the sac?

 

[Ranitomeya]

I'm not quite sure what you mean.

When mantids molt, they just shed the outer layer of their exoskeleton after they recycle the inner layers and lay down a whole new exoskeleton underneath. It's just a thin layer that covers the outside of their body as well as the lining of their respiratory system. They basically inflate themselves with air and pull themselves out of their old exoskeleton like we would take off a tight-fitting, one-piece garment of clothing that unzips on the back. At the same time they're pulling themselves out of their old exoskeleton--legs and all--they pull the old linings of their respiratory system out of themselves.