Orchid Breeding

[Mantis_Whisper]

Okay, I finally got my hands on some orchid males, courtesy of Aiko. (I'm so grateful to him. )

So the males jumped to it as soon as they saw the females, happy and well horny. The first pair mated three times... took them nine hours to finish. The other pair just started mating. <_<

So anyway, pictures and a video!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jl0Q2QovaI The males tap the females back... anyone else have this happen... never heard of it before.

First Pair

Second Pair

First Pair Mating

Second Pair Mating

I can't wait till they start laying!

 

[mantidsandgeckos]

Wow, you must be one of the few people in the US to breed them now! :lol:

 

[mantidsandgeckos]

Wow, the tapping was weird! Won't it scratch the females wings?

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Wow, you must be one of the few people in the US to breed them now! :lol:

Yeah.... It's kinda sad too. The US needs more of this species. It'd help if more people loaned out males.

Yeah it is.... I really don't see any damage, it looks like they use the smooth side of thier claws. They do it constantly too.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Oh, and a question for exprienced orchid breeders.

I was wondering if I should remove the male from the female. If he already mated and is just hanging out is it okay to remove? Otherwise I'll keep them on there, I just don't want the males to starve, since they are not mine.

 

[pedro92]

Yeah.... It's kinda sad too. The US needs more of this species. It'd help if more people loaned out males.Yeah it is.... I really don't see any damage, it looks like they use the smooth side of thier claws. They do it constantly too.

I have 8 orchids and most or all of them appear to be males i need help sexing them though. I bought mag glass to see abdomen but still wanna double check

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

I have 8 orchids and most or all of them appear to be males i need help sexing them though. I bought mag glass to see abdomen but still wanna double check

Yeah I have trouble telling thier gender too.

What instar are they?

 

[pedro92]

Yeah I have trouble telling thier gender too.What instar are they?

Around L5. looks like sub adult

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Around L5. looks like sub adult

I think subadult is around L6 or L7. They confused me too when they were younger. I thought they were both male for the longest time.

 

[Pelle]

I made a movie once of the tapping

Movie

 

[collinchang635]

Why does the male tap the female? Testing her patience?

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

I made a movie too.... worse quailty though.

Someone said before it's to tell the female that they're there, which judging from their size I think it could be a good reason. With the other species the males are huge, so the females know they're there, but it looked like the female orchids didn't even notice the males, even when they started mating.

 

[collinchang635]

I made a movie too.... worse quailty though.Someone said before it's to tell the female that they're there, which judging from their size I think it could be a good reason. With the other species the males are huge, so the females know they're there, but it looked like the female orchids didn't even notice the males, even when they started mating.

Guess it makes sense. The males are really small compared to the females. How big does both genders of this species grow?

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Guess it makes sense. The males are really small compared to the females. How big does both genders of this species grow?

I just measured all four of the mantises. I got 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) for the males, and 3.5 (8.89 cm) inches for the females.

Yeah.... It was kinda funny, the males just walked onto the females' backs and the girls didn't even bat an eye.

 

[The_Asa]

Congratulations! And I love the lighting on the first two pictures.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Mine flap their wings constantly. Haven't seen the tapping. I think he is saying "hey let me in" :lol: .

If anyone is unsure of their s e x , send me pick of back end, even at 2nd instar, I can now tell them apart

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Congratulations! And I love the lighting on the first two pictures.

Thanks. Yeah, that's coimg from my sandfish tank. It's got an extremely bright light, it gives my pictures a orangish hue.

Mine flap their wings constantly. Haven't seen the tapping. I think he is saying "hey let me in" :lol: .If anyone is unsure of their s e x , send me pick of back end, even at 2nd instar, I can now tell them apart

I didn't see the flapping. The odd thing is they still do it, even when they're connected. The male would go a hour straight without doing it and then do it every minute for four hours. It was weird.... I couldn't fall asleep either, they kept doing it. :blink:

 

[collinchang635]

I think subadult is around L6 or L7. They confused me too when they were younger. I thought they were both male for the longest time.

Is the problem with counting the segments because it is too small?

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Is the problem with counting the segments because it is too small?

I think so.... though when I s e x my mantises I look at the last segment, it usually works, but orchids always threw me off.... even when older.