It's probably still a bit early to be concerned, but better prepared than missing my chances; my females should be entering the start of their receptive stage of adulthood (2-3 weeks past molt) and the males are unquestionably mature, having molted a couple weeks before the females, but thus far on attempts to put them together the males are more keen on simply running away than anything. So, in order to maximize chances of future attempts actually working: anyone have tips on how to encourage breeding of giant shield mantids? I've heard keep the humidity up (keeping my breeding tent heavily misted when they're together), try to put the male on the female (easier said than done), and warm temperatures (this time of year my room averages in the 80's F), but any more specific tips?
Rhombodera basalis breeding tips
- Thread starter hcarlton
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Predatorhousepet
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I haven't mated my Rhombodera basalis yet as I am still trying to find a mate for her (she laid an infertile ooth about a week ago so I still have time to find a male before the next ooth.)
However, I had a similar problem when trying to mate my orchids. Pairing wasn't successful despite many tries until the female was not only old enough but also displaying definite signs she was ready (such as restlessness, pacing, increased hunger, displaying & pumping her abdomen) Once I noticed this behavior I got her ready by stuffing her full of food all day then waited until evening (a few hours before the lights are timed to turn off) then introduced the female into the male's enclosure. (Move him to a large mating enclosure several days or weeks beforehand so he is comfortable & feels safe in those surroundings.) The mating enclosure should have lots of hiding spots and plants for him to retreat to once things are over. Put the female in front of him so he can see her abdomen easily. While you do need to watch them and possibly intervene at this critical stage should things get ugly, try to back off as much as possible. The male wouldn't make his move when I was too close. It helps to give her a big prey item to keep her occupied so you don't have to hover protectively over them. I've seen others suggest that if he doesn't notice her right away to put her against a contrasting background color so he can see her outline more easily.
When my R. basalis finally began calling for a mate her abdomen went from dull pink to bright flaming red and she would display it by opening her wings slightly while hanging upside down vertically. From afar she looked like a lovely red flower bud just beginning to bloom.
https://ibb.co/fJqLTT
So when you breed your shield make sure she is showing obvious signs she is ready first. Besides an increase in activity and displaying & pumping her reddened abdomen, mine would also occasionally shake her wings, presumably to help disperse pheromones. She was also ravenously hungry around that time and was always seeking prey so feed her extremely well both before and during the mating.
However, I had a similar problem when trying to mate my orchids. Pairing wasn't successful despite many tries until the female was not only old enough but also displaying definite signs she was ready (such as restlessness, pacing, increased hunger, displaying & pumping her abdomen) Once I noticed this behavior I got her ready by stuffing her full of food all day then waited until evening (a few hours before the lights are timed to turn off) then introduced the female into the male's enclosure. (Move him to a large mating enclosure several days or weeks beforehand so he is comfortable & feels safe in those surroundings.) The mating enclosure should have lots of hiding spots and plants for him to retreat to once things are over. Put the female in front of him so he can see her abdomen easily. While you do need to watch them and possibly intervene at this critical stage should things get ugly, try to back off as much as possible. The male wouldn't make his move when I was too close. It helps to give her a big prey item to keep her occupied so you don't have to hover protectively over them. I've seen others suggest that if he doesn't notice her right away to put her against a contrasting background color so he can see her outline more easily.
When my R. basalis finally began calling for a mate her abdomen went from dull pink to bright flaming red and she would display it by opening her wings slightly while hanging upside down vertically. From afar she looked like a lovely red flower bud just beginning to bloom.
https://ibb.co/fJqLTT
So when you breed your shield make sure she is showing obvious signs she is ready first. Besides an increase in activity and displaying & pumping her reddened abdomen, mine would also occasionally shake her wings, presumably to help disperse pheromones. She was also ravenously hungry around that time and was always seeking prey so feed her extremely well both before and during the mating.
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