New Ooth... What should I do?

[Ninja_The_Mantis]

So my first mantis, Ninja, has laid a ooth last night, and I found it this morning. She is my first mantis (Along with Emerald who I found out she was a male But he/she died last weekend) and is a Egyptian mantis and I haven't mated her with any of my others, mainly because my other two are different species.

I don't know what to do because I'm still new to the mantis hobby (Only about 6 months lol ), but I don't want to destroy the ooth...

My mum said I can keep them if they hatch, because we have the appropriate containers to keep them in. Yay!

My friend is very interested in them, and I know the local exotic pet shop would like to buy some too.

But what is worrying me, is: Are they going to hatch? I think they might be able to hatch, even if they haven't been fertilized by a male, but I need some more info than just the internet.

Thanks!

Ninja_The_Mantis h34r:

 

[HungryGhost]

If she didn't mate it won't hatch.

 

[gripen]

Keep it. If it is miomantis spp., it can hatch without mating.

 

[Aryia]

Miomantis species can hatch a couple nymphs without mating, but the hatch size will be nowhere near the usual amount. What do you have the ooth in currently? Let the ooth harden for a week or so, and then gently try to peel it off. If it doesn't come off, remove it at the container wall with a razor blade or such *don't cut into the actual ooth though!*. Ooths are packed with insulation on the outside layer so a little damage to them won't matter. With the ooth removed you can attach it to whatever container you want to hatch it into. The reason you don't want them to hatch in the same container you keep the female is because the female will eat the nymphs when they hatch! You can use a hotgluegun (let the hotglue cool a tiny bit before putting the ooth on), or superglue (a tiny bit is enough to hold the ooth) onto the lid of the hatching cup. Orientation does matter! Does orient it the way the female laid it.

Alternatively if the laying cup is appropriate for use as a hatching cup, you could just transfer the female to a new enclosure. I prefer 16 oz or 32 oz cups as hatching cups and put moist paper towels on the bottom. Spray lightly everyday or every other day (spray the towel, not the ooth). It's easy to see when nymphs have hatched in those cups : )

Good luck and you can PM me if you can't find answers to your questions here, I'm notoriously bad for not checking back on threads x.x

 

[Ninja_The_Mantis]

The ooth is on the netting I use for the lid of the cup I keep the mantis in. I have just carefully put the netting onto a new cup, and used some different netting for a lid for Ninjas pot. Will the ooth be okay, on the netting? it is very thin , so I dont think they can escape. I got it from here lol ---> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-x-Fine-Mesh-Netting-for-praying-mantis-stick-insects-spider-fruitfly-meters-/321094703493?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&var=&hash=item4ac2bc5985