S. Californica oothed!

cloud jaguar · Oct 30, 2008

OUr front-yard caught Stagmomantis Californica is oothing right now! We are excited about raising some S. Californica nymphs because she is such a cool looking creature and seems to act so differently from our S. limbatas (which i also like, but for different reasons).

Looks like it may be wedged between the cage wall, the cage lid and a stick in there... great, lol.

~Arkanis

Katnapper · Oct 30, 2008

Arkanis said:
OUr front-yard caught Stagmomantis Californica is oothing right now! We are excited about raising some S. Californica nymphs because she is such a cool looking creature and seems to act so differently from our S. limbatas (which i also like, but for different reasons). Looks like it may be wedged between the cage wall, the cage lid and a stick in there... great, lol.

~Arkanis

Congrats, Arkanis! Once it dries, hopefully it will come off OK. Good luck with it!

My wild-caught Chinese mantis laid a huge one in that exact spot in her critter keeper. I did pry it off the lid and the wall, but left it attached to the top of the stick. Now it has a beveled square corner to it, complete with 2 or 3 little rectangular protusions where it expanded out the air slots in the lid.

Hehe. Pretty funny looking... looks like a very odd lollipop! :blink: Maybe I'll take a pic of it. Wish I knew if it was fertile, as she hasn't been mated since I captured her as an adult, for lack of a male.

cloud jaguar · Oct 30, 2008

Katnapper said:
Congrats, Arkanis! Once it dries, hopefully it will come off OK. Good luck with it! My wild-caught Chinese mantis laid a huge one in that exact spot in her critter keeper. I did pry it off the lid and the wall, but left it attached to the top of the stick. Now it has a beveled square corner to it, complete with 2 or 3 little rectangular protusions where it expanded out the air slots in the lid. Hehe. Pretty funny looking... looks like a very odd lollipop! :blink: Maybe I'll take a pic of it. Wish I knew if it was fertile, as she hasn't been mated since I captured her as an adult, for lack of a male.

Thanks Katnapper, it is kind of exciting, lol. She completed laying it. It definitely is not stuck on the stick but is attached to both the lid and the wall. Smallish oddly shaped little ooth - the zipper is nearly pressed flat against wall. I just observed her with her abdomen curled around all the way over her back and held with her raptorial arms as she cleaned remnants of the ootheca from her cerci. Now she is just walking all around the cage looking for a way to escape. Clearly an irrepressible wandelust in her.

Rick · Oct 31, 2008

Arkanis said:
Thanks Katnapper, it is kind of exciting, lol. She completed laying it. It definitely is not stuck on the stick but is attached to both the lid and the wall. Smallish oddly shaped little ooth - the zipper is nearly pressed flat against wall. I just observed her with her abdomen curled around all the way over her back and held with her raptorial arms as she cleaned remnants of the ootheca from her cerci. Now she is just walking all around the cage looking for a way to escape. Clearly an irrepressible wandelust in her.

You crack me up. After awhile you will be like, "oh she's laying an ooth..........cool" and go about your business.

PhilinYuma · Oct 31, 2008

Arkanis said:
Thanks Katnapper, it is kind of exciting, lol. She completed laying it. It definitely is not stuck on the stick but is attached to both the lid and the wall. Smallish oddly shaped little ooth - the zipper is nearly pressed flat against wall. I just observed her with her abdomen curled around all the way over her back and held with her raptorial arms as she cleaned remnants of the ootheca from her cerci. Now she is just walking all around the cage looking for a way to escape. Clearly an irrepressible wandelust in her.

Congratulations Arkanis!

And that's a nice, detailed account. My S. limbata was laying at almost exactly the same time, but she is well fed and and motionless, having left the ooth to its own devices.

Perhaps your enthusiasm will become tempered a bit over time, maybe not. I have a 77 year old friend who drives from Prescott to the Harcuvars two or three times a week to feed and water the critters there, and as he has for many years, gives me a detailed account every time. Perhaps you will become the Jean Henri Fabre of Pasadena!