S. Limbata After Bredding Care

[a1_collection]

From one male I was able to inseminate two females. I have both females housed in comfortable places. how long before she lays an ooth? It doesn't seem like any of them are getting any bigger.

The females might just be a couple days into their maturity so can that be a problem? She was willing to accept the male with no fuss but I don't know if she had eggs or not. Should I try again with my females later in the week?

 

[Rick]

When they lay not dependant on when they mate. There is nothing you have to do. Just feed them well and they well make ooths when ready. It will be awhile though. I tend to remate after they have made a few ooths. You can mate again to be sure. Males can mate over and over so that is not a problem.

 

[cloud jaguar]

I have heard that one should wait 2 weeks after males and females become adults to mate them to ensure fertility. if the females just turned adult you may want to mate them again in a week or so. Also, they will be ready to lay oothecae once they have enough food in them so start filling the females up with tasty bugs.

 

[agent A]

be sure to have plenty of foliage for them to lay eggs on or they'll get eggbound, a lesson I learned the hard way.

 

[a1_collection]

I stripped all the leaves off of branches I found around the yard so it is just twigs in the cage.

I'll mate my earlier female again this week. I'll leave my male recover from the last 9 hour mating session.

 

[PhilinYuma]

be sure to have plenty of foliage for them to lay eggs on or they'll get eggbound, a lesson I learned the hard way.

No. This is not the case with S. limbata. In the wild, in my area at least, they generally lay their eggs on tree trunks, branches or twigs. I also find a number of ooths on walls. In captivity, whether fertilized or not, they will lay on the top and sides of a pot, though still generally preferring twigs. I know of no correlation between a mantid's becoming "egg bound" and the available substrate for ooth laying.

 

[agent A]

well my females never lay eggs in a bare cage.

 

[Rick]

well my females never lay eggs in a bare cage.

All mine do.

 

[agent A]

tell me more. how do you get them to do that? Anything special that you do?

 

[kamakiri]

tell me more. how do you get them to do that? Anything special that you do?

I do feel limbata prefer twigs or branches to lay. But I haven't had a problem with them laying on the plastic 'kritter keeper' type containers either. So I doubt it is necessary to have twigs at all.

 

[kamakiri]

From one male I was able to inseminate two females. I have both females housed in comfortable places. how long before she lays an ooth? It doesn't seem like any of them are getting any bigger.The females might just be a couple days into their maturity so can that be a problem? She was willing to accept the male with no fuss but I don't know if she had eggs or not. Should I try again with my females later in the week?

Sounds like you are rushing things a little. If they have just become adults, I think you are about 3-4 weeks away from laying... especially if they have not put on any weight yet. Oogenesis (making the eggs) takes a little while for the larger breeds. Between ooths for me has been around 3 weeks for limbata.

I would also re-mate them in a couple of weeks to be safe. Maybe a week if they both are not getting bigger.