Otheca stopped hatching

[Mvalenz]

I swear if i didn't have bad luck I would have no luck at all. And I know I misspelled ootheca.

I was up late last night and around 4:00am before I went to bed I decided to turn my heat lamp off above my H. Majuscula ootheca to see what the room temp would be. So I turned it off and waited about 5 minutes. When I turned it back on I noticed a single little nymph hanging from a string from the ootheca. I am not sure if it started hatching before I turned the light off or the sudden drop in temp caused it to start to hatch but when I turned the light back on it stopped hatching and didn't start again. Keep in mind I have my thermostat placed on top of the enclosure below the lamp because I like to move it around to get different temps for different species. I am assuming the temp in the enclosure is about 5 degrees cooler than the thermostat reads. When I turned the lamp off it read 85 degrees. It started to drop quickly to 75 degrees when I turned it back on. Right now it read 90 degrees. Is there any way to resurrect this ootheca or did I miss my window?

 

[psyconiko]

Sometimes majuscula ooths will give you up to 200 nymphs,sometimes less or nothing.But they can also hatch during several days.You may get lucky and still have a good load of nymphs.Keep incubating.

 

[Mvalenz]

Do they stop and start again or is it a continuous stream of nymphs? What about the temp? It was at about 77-78 degrees when I turned my lite off and it was pitch dark as well. The thing is is that I don't know if it started to hatch before or after I turned the light off. My light is a "Nightlight red reptile bulb" from zoomed. It still gives off a red glow, so it's not completely dark at night. I do raise it higher and away from mantids to cool the temp at night, but not below 80-85. If i take the cover off the hatchery to place the thermostat in the enclosure will I disturb the ootheca or should I just leave as is?

 

[agent A]

give it a spritz and hope for the best

 

[Mvalenz]

give it a spritz and hope for the best

Yeah. I guess thats all I can do. What temp are you keeping yours at during the day and night?

 

[agent A]

Yeah. I guess thats all I can do. What temp are you keeping yours at during the day and night?

room temp

 

[Mvalenz]

room temp

Really? Thought they needed to be kept warm?

 

[agent A]

Really? Thought they needed to be kept warm?

well i haven't kept any for long

i sent the first 2 to peeps and the 3rd is goin to someone as well <_<

 

[Mvalenz]

I'm wondering if the drop in temp caused it to hatch. I don't remember seeing the one little mantis hanging there when I turned the lamp off. Have you ever heard of this happening?

 

[Mvalenz]

It's not a total bust. I moved it to a room upstairs and left it at room temp. Now I have two little nymphs at the bottom of the hatchery. :lol: :clap: unk:

I hope there is a lot more in the morning.

Update: this morning I counted about 6 nymphs. It looks like there is about 4 that got stuck hanging from the string. I'm thinking as soon as the sun comes up it stops hatching. Do most ootheca hatch only at night?

 

[Mime454]

Did more hatch?

 

[Mvalenz]

Did more hatch?

No more. I'm thinking when the temp drops at night it causes it to hatch. I think that is why it started when I turned the light off and stopped when I turned it back on originally. I'm going to see what happens tonight.

Update: the temp just dropped a couple of degrees and it started hatching again. I think my hypothesis is correct. No one ever told me this.

 

[Mime454]

Okay let us know. I'm keeping and hoping to breed this species.

 

[Mvalenz]

Okay let us know. I'm keeping and hoping to breed this species.

No problem. I will update later tonight.

 

[agent A]

No problem. I will update later tonight.

random question for u

wat is your avatar supposed to be? is it a pteradactyl??

 

[Mime454]

random question for u

wat is your avatar supposed to be? is it a pteradactyl??

Some kind of 4-legged mantis? It has antennae.

 

[Mvalenz]

random question for u

wat is your avatar supposed to be? is it a pteradactyl??

It's Zorak from the cartoon space ghost. He is supposed to be a praying mantis alien type thing, but they got the anatomy a little wrong.

 

[Mvalenz]

Looks like I'm up to ten. One more didn't drop completly from the ooth and another has a couple of legs stuck. I'll try to free him soon. All together there are about 5 that got stuck. 33%. Is this a normal ratio to get stuck?

 

[Mime454]

Looks like I'm up to ten. One more didn't drop completly from the ooth and another has a couple of legs stuck. I'll try to free him soon. All together there are about 5 that got stuck. 33%. Is this a normal ratio to get stuck?

I don't think so.