Orchid Breeding

[collinchang635]

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.

Maybe you should try to take a picture and enlarge the photo. Thats what I do. It works pretty well. I could tell what gender they were from L2.

 

[AikoAiko]

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

Yeah! That's my boys! So glad things are working out.

And, um, I'm a girl, Andrea, not a boy!

Aiko

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Yeah! That's my boys! So glad things are working out. And, um, I'm a girl, Andrea, not a boy!

Aiko

............................. Oops, I feel like such a dolt now. I'm gonna go sit in the corner of lost dignity now. :blink:

Yep, they did really good, they it took them three days to finally leave the female's backs. :mellow:

 

[AikoAiko]

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

I know this isn't anything that hasn't been said before, but there are other ways to sex orchids besides counting segments. Looking for the v-shaped abdomen groove on the females was how I initially sexed mine when I got them at L2 and for me this was easier than segment counting.

The horn also becomes more and more visible in females the older they get and a size difference is noticeable even in the younger instars. My sole female was noticeably larger than the males around L4.

I also think that the lobes on the female's legs are larger, rounder, and more deeply curved than the males. The male's leg lobes have shallower curves to them (or so it seems to me. Anyone else notice this?).

 

[Rob Byatt]

I also think that the lobes on the female's legs are larger, rounder, and more deeply curved than the males. The male's leg lobes have shallower curves to them (or so it seems to me. Anyone else notice this?).

This is how I normally s e x this species - when you have seen hundreds you can be 90% accurate at 2nd/3rd instar.

 

[collinchang635]

I know this isn't anything that hasn't been said before, but there are other ways to sex orchids besides counting segments. Looking for the v-shaped abdomen groove on the females was how I initially sexed mine when I got them at L2 and for me this was easier than segment counting.The horn also becomes more and more visible in females the older they get and a size difference is noticeable even in the younger instars. My sole female was noticeably larger than the males around L4.

I also think that the lobes on the female's legs are larger, rounder, and more deeply curved than the males. The male's leg lobes have shallower curves to them (or so it seems to me. Anyone else notice this?).

Can you tell the gender of this species using the size of the abdomen?

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

i've been looking at my female and male and comparing.

1 my female is larger than male

2 my female is more aggressive at eating

3 my female does have larger lobes and are more curved vs the males

but then again i am only looking at 2 different orchid mantids =)

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Well I have some bad news.

My older female died a couple of days ago, producing no ooth before doing so. I don't blame her though, she's over a year old, as is the other one. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

 

[AikoAiko]

Sorry to hear about your female. Maybe the other one will lay soon...

I'm still anxiously waiting for Kerrigan to molt. She's stopped eating, has swollen wingbuds, and is pinker in color, so I think it will be very soon. Hopefully everything will go well with the molt and I will be able to breed her soon.

How are the boys doing?

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Sorry to hear about your female. Maybe the other one will lay soon... I'm still anxiously waiting for Kerrigan to molt. She's stopped eating, has swollen wingbuds, and is pinker in color, so I think it will be very soon. Hopefully everything will go well with the molt and I will be able to breed her soon.

How are the boys doing?

I'm hoping, I really do wnat to raise orchids.

The boys are doing fine, look at me weird whenever I walk into the room, it's quite odd, but cute.

Oh, good luck.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

REALLY REALLY good news!

I woke up this morning, did my daily checkup and saw my female orchid laying an ooth! Right now it's about two inches long, and she's still laying.

I took a couple pictures, but I can't find my camrea cord. Someone moved it on me. You'll get to see the pictures when I've tracked down the elusive cord.

 

[idolomantis]

REALLY REALLY good news!I woke up this morning, did my daily checkup and saw my female orchid laying an ooth! Right now it's about two inches long, and she's still laying.

I took a couple pictures, but I can't find my camrea cord. Someone moved it on me. You'll get to see the pictures when I've tracked down the elusive cord.

That's wicked!!!!!!

 

[The_Asa]

Hatch the ooth, raise the babies, and please make the price on these guys go down! :lol: Best of lucks