Orchid butts

[RevWillie]

Alright, I know it's a very basic question but what sex do you think each of these orchids is?

Orchid #1

Orchid #2

Orchid #3

I want to breed them eventually and so I need to feed and speed up the girls and slow down the boys. I think that 1 & 3 are boys and 2 is a girl, but sometimes I'm not so sure.

What say you folks?

 

[d17oug18]

i want to help but i cant tell at all!

Im going to guess so dont count my vote. I think 3 are female.

 

[ismart]

#1, and #3 look like males. #2 is definitely a female.

 

[mantidsaresweet]

2 is a for sure a female but I can't tell about 1 or 3.

 

[Termite48]

Even if you cannot count the abdominal segments, at about L-4 and surely long before subadult you should see a marked difference in the size comparison. The females are nearly twice the size of the males before the males reach adult. If they are all about the same size, the evidence leads me to say all are females.

 

[RevWillie]

They are all about the same size, but on the last molt (L5?) the #2 above got maybe 10% bigger than the other 2.

I'm trying to speed up the girl and slow down the boys - the girl is at 80 degrees and gets fed every time she'll eat, and the boys are at 78 degrees and will be fed once or twice a week. Does this sound about right?

 

[RevWillie]

Orchid #2 shed today and full-tilt DOUBLED in size - gotta be a girl!

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

good to hear!