Orchid breeding question

[Love2read]

About how many weeks after final molt do females normal lay their first ooth?

My female had her final molt 5 1/2 weeks ago and was mated last week. Her belly is HUGE and I eagerly check her enclosure multiple times a day hoping to see an ooth, lol.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Around 2 months or more, they lay later than most do. don't over feed her.

 

[Love2read]

Wow, didn't expect to have to wait THAT long. Patience isn't my strong point, lol.

I didn't realize it was possible to overfeed a mantis...I always try to keep some BBs in my females' containers at all times and they just eat when they're hungry. I think humans are the only "animals" that tend to gorge themselves just because there's food everywhere.

Is there a reason for not "overfeeding"? Have there ever been obese mantids or negative side effects to having food available to them at all times?

 

[Love2read]

Just to add: I never leave crickets in the containers, or anything else that could hurt the mantids, only BBs. I've read too many horror stories about crickets eating newly-shed mantids and such. :/