Orchid mantis POLL

[Starving Always]

Need help!! I want to know which is more worth buying out of all 3 choices. He is from Malaysia/Thailand, I think, so shipping would take awhile, considering the risk of the death of nymphs. 1cm is really small. You think it can hatch more than 4 at least??

 

[Extrememantid]

I've never heard of a 1cm ooth from that species. I'd stay away from that, might just be a little piece of excess material the female wanted to get rid of. Get nymphs over that, or order from someone within the U.S. Or even Europe 

 

[Starving Always]

1cm ooth as in ill get 1 cm of the ooth, or theyll cut it XD

 

[Extrememantid]

1cm ooth as in ill get 1 cm of the ooth, or theyll cut it XD

Likely that the female laid a tiny piece of ooth. it's dumb if they're cutting it or whatever.

 

[Starving Always]

yeah i agree :/

 

[MantisGalore]

I would get the nymphs unless the ooth is guaranteed to hatch

 

[Ranitomeya]

Orchid mantis oothecae have a tendency to have high variability in fertility even guaranteed to be mated, so I'd recommend against the ootheca unless it's guaranteed fertile.

That said, I do not recommend purchasing nymphs from overseas as delays can be rather disastrous, especially in species that require humidity, good ventilation, and warm temperatures. It's quite cold in most places right now and heat packs can only last so long, so delays can result in frozen animals. If they do somehow have heat packs that last long enough, you then have the heat pack's tendency to dry out packages unless the containers have poor ventilation and moisture, but that becomes a different problem in the form of the potential to drown nymphs with condensation and sickening them with microbial growth. Then add the risk of them being denied or destroyed by customs, and the whole thing just becomes a big nope.

I'd personally go with none of the above.

 

[MantisGalore]

Orchid mantis oothecae have a tendency to have high variability in fertility even guaranteed to be mated, so I'd recommend against the ootheca unless it's guaranteed fertile.

That said, I do not recommend purchasing nymphs from overseas as delays can be rather disastrous, especially in species that require humidity, good ventilation, and warm temperatures. It's quite cold in most places right now and heat packs can only last so long, so delays can result in frozen animals. If they do somehow have heat packs that last long enough, you then have the heat pack's tendency to dry out packages unless the containers have poor ventilation and moisture, but that becomes a different problem in the form of the potential to drown nymphs with condensation and sickening them with microbial growth. Then add the risk of them being denied or destroyed by customs, and the whole thing just becomes a big nope.

I'd personally go with none of the above.

I agree *Puts two hands up and smiles*

~Aaliyah

 

[Starving Always]

Orchid mantis oothecae have a tendency to have high variability in fertility even guaranteed to be mated, so I'd recommend against the ootheca unless it's guaranteed fertile.

That said, I do not recommend purchasing nymphs from overseas as delays can be rather disastrous, especially in species that require humidity, good ventilation, and warm temperatures. It's quite cold in most places right now and heat packs can only last so long, so delays can result in frozen animals. If they do somehow have heat packs that last long enough, you then have the heat pack's tendency to dry out packages unless the containers have poor ventilation and moisture, but that becomes a different problem in the form of the potential to drown nymphs with condensation and sickening them with microbial growth. Then add the risk of them being denied or destroyed by customs, and the whole thing just becomes a big nope.

I'd personally go with none of the above.

got it. so basically, as long as the ooths are fertile then its fine?

 

[Starving Always]

I agree *Puts two hands up and smiles*

~Aaliyah

huh? but you said nymphs XD 

 

[MantisGalore]

huh? but you said nymphs XD 

Yes nymphs are a better option than the ooth but I don't recommend international purchase.

 

[PlayingMantis]

I've been breeding orchids for 3 generations, and even though I've witnessed successful matings from 8 pairs of orchids, and ended up with over a dozen supposedly fertile ooths, only about 30% of the ooths were actually fertile. Fertility is determined by: after 6 weeks or so, I can see eyeballs inside the ooth if I candle it. And of course, later on, the ooths with eyeballs hatched. The rest of the ooths never had any developing embryos, as if the females were never mated at all. It's sad. That is why I never sold any ooths, and never will, because guaranteeing true fertility is beyond my control and power.

First, 1cm of ooth is awfully small and doesn't sound very fertile. I've had tiny tidbits of ooths (of other species) that hatched 1-2 nymphs, or none at all. And if the breeder is going to cut an ooth...I don't know, that idea makes me cringe. Also, is the ooth captive bred or wild caught? WC ooths are completely a gamble.

Third, as mentioned already, international shipping, especially from Asia, takes a long time. I received some clay handmade crafts from Thailand this year, which took 3-4 weeks. Lastly, you risk getting in trouble, or delays, with customs. One of my packages I received last week was apparently opened somewhere during shipment, but I had nothing to worry about since importing clay ornaments is perfectly legal.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I cant tell u how many thousand of dollars I have spent on many different species of ooth and they did not hatch, never got them, or they never labeled the ooths and as such never knew what they were. Even from people on here. I have been dupped many times over. Dont buy it, it is like someone said a bit she spit out as she was probably disturbed when laying and she finished it or it was all she laid. I t is guaranteed no good and anyone trying to sell it is no good.

 

[hibiscusmile]

AND after saying that, do not buy nymphs from this person either. Have you given us his or her name, u should do so, as you are not hiding anyone we dont know and can further assist you when we know.

 

[Starving Always]

AND after saying that, do not buy nymphs from this person either. Have you given us his or her name, u should do so, as you are not hiding anyone we dont know and can further assist you when we know.

Tomasz Hubert Jezierski

 

[Starving Always]

I've been breeding orchids for 3 generations, and even though I've witnessed successful matings from 8 pairs of orchids, and ended up with over a dozen supposedly fertile ooths, only about 30% of the ooths were actually fertile. Fertility is determined by: after 6 weeks or so, I can see eyeballs inside the ooth if I candle it. And of course, later on, the ooths with eyeballs hatched. The rest of the ooths never had any developing embryos, as if the females were never mated at all. It's sad. That is why I never sold any ooths, and never will, because guaranteeing true fertility is beyond my control and power.

First, 1cm of ooth is awfully small and doesn't sound very fertile. I've had tiny tidbits of ooths (of other species) that hatched 1-2 nymphs, or none at all. And if the breeder is going to cut an ooth...I don't know, that idea makes me cringe. Also, is the ooth captive bred or wild caught? WC ooths are completely a gamble.

Third, as mentioned already, international shipping, especially from Asia, takes a long time. I received some clay handmade crafts from Thailand this year, which took 3-4 weeks. Lastly, you risk getting in trouble, or delays, with customs. One of my packages I received last week was apparently opened somewhere during shipment, but I had nothing to worry about since importing clay ornaments is perfectly legal.

thanks for everything! i think its safe to say that i will no longer buy the ooth he says that its fertile and even dares me to post on FB asking if his ooths are... that is so weird though -orchid ooths are a gamble when it comes to fertility. i always thought, "oh if they mated, then it will always be fertile." seems like the chances of getting a fertile ooth from a mated female are really low.. 

 

[Starving Always]

I cant tell u how many thousand of dollars I have spent on many different species of ooth and they did not hatch, never got them, or they never labeled the ooths and as such never knew what they were. Even from people on here. I have been dupped many times over. Dont buy it, it is like someone said a bit she spit out as she was probably disturbed when laying and she finished it or it was all she laid. I t is guaranteed no good and anyone trying to sell it is no good.

im sorry to hear this :-( thanks for the advice (-: i am no longer going to buy any orchid ooths now and in the future. as i dont want to risk not having a fertile ooth. i didnt know the chances of getting one is really low 0: 

 

[DeShawn]

Don't be discouraged about buying orchid ooths, just do your research and get them from someone trusted.  Fertility rate has more to do with genetics than the species.  This is my first time breeding orchids in about 7 years but I had almost 100% hatch rate, even on the tiny little bits they would lay (with like 3 or 4 eggs in them) back then.  From what I am told by a few people in the hobby today (ones I trust) is the fertility rate is lower due to so much inbreeding (not the species itself).  First generation (after wild caught) do not have this problem.

The biggest problem with getting them shipped is temps.  Cold temps even for a short period could cause orchid ooths to die, or delay hatching for weeks/months.  My very first orchid ooth was put in a container in hatch and after 6 weeks I was expecting to have the only orchid ooths in the US any day (Keep in mind, this was YEARS ago.  The hobby has grown so much since then).  7 weeks, 8 weeks... still nothing.  I always put all my ooths in the container of death for a few months before finally tossing them out, you know... just in case.  After 5 weeks in the container of death with a bunch of other "dead" ooths of all kinds of species, with no care at all, it hatched like 100 nymphs, of which 30 or so made it due to issues hatching on the ground and in-between other ooths, etc.  REALLY sucked.  Total of 13 weeks!

Yen Saw ended up being REALLY successful with orchids back then.  Not sure he if he is keeping them still but he would be the perfect person to ask about where to get them or how to keep fertility rates up.  When I left the hobby he was getting so many orchids hatching he told me he was considering giving up the species!  It takes a lot of orchid nymphs to make you sick of them.

 

[Starving Always]

Don't be discouraged about buying orchid ooths, just do your research and get them from someone trusted.  Fertility rate has more to do with genetics than the species.  This is my first time breeding orchids in about 7 years but I had almost 100% hatch rate, even on the tiny little bits they would lay (with like 3 or 4 eggs in them) back then.  From what I am told by a few people in the hobby today (ones I trust) is the fertility rate is lower due to so much inbreeding (not the species itself).  First generation (after wild caught) do not have this problem.

The biggest problem with getting them shipped is temps.  Cold temps even for a short period could cause orchid ooths to die, or delay hatching for weeks/months.  My very first orchid ooth was put in a container in hatch and after 6 weeks I was expecting to have the only orchid ooths in the US any day (Keep in mind, this was YEARS ago.  The hobby has grown so much since then).  7 weeks, 8 weeks... still nothing.  I always put all my ooths in the container of death for a few months before finally tossing them out, you know... just in case.  After 5 weeks in the container of death with a bunch of other "dead" ooths of all kinds of species, with no care at all, it hatched like 100 nymphs, of which 30 or so made it due to issues hatching on the ground and in-between other ooths, etc.  REALLY sucked.  Total of 13 weeks!

Yen Saw ended up being REALLY successful with orchids back then.  Not sure he if he is keeping them still but he would be the perfect person to ask about where to get them or how to keep fertility rates up.  When I left the hobby he was getting so many orchids hatching he told me he was considering giving up the species!  It takes a lot of orchid nymphs to make you sick of them.

haha really? cause orchids are so precious and beautiful and graceful and their mimicry of ants as nymphs, their camoflauge of flowers. how they walk as it looks like a flower drifting in the wind, their pinkish color, and they just stand out more than the other unique-looking species. 

dont worry, i wont be buying any expensive nymphs/ooths from international countries unless it is guaranteed to arrive safely, or the seller is responsible and will be able to refund/exchange.

also, i saw that you mentioned why the fertility rates of orchids are so low, due to inbreeding. is that the breeding of different species?