selective breeding

[mack]

i don't even know what search terms i would use to find this answer, so y'all please forgive me if this has already been answered in some other post.

i have ghost mantises, 2 pretty green females, one brown male, and one green mantis which sure looks like a male, but hasn't gone through the final molt. 

it's been quite a few weeks since the females had their last molt, so i am feeling like it's time to breed them.  so here's my question: i would love to breed the green 'male' to green females if he turns out to actually be male.  but the clock is ticking.   i know that females carry the sperm and can lay ooths without mating again.  but what i'm wondering is if i breed both females to the brown male, can the green 'male' still fertilize one of them later?   or will they just carry the brown male's sperm and not mate or not be fertilized by a second male?  i know that guppies carry sperm in the same way, but a female guppy can conceive by a second male.  what about mantises?  can they do it?

 

[CosbyArt]

i don't even know what search terms i would use to find this answer, so y'all please forgive me if this has already been answered in some other post.

i have ghost mantises, 2 pretty green females, one brown male, and one green mantis which sure looks like a male, but hasn't gone through the final molt. 

it's been quite a few weeks since the females had their last molt, so i am feeling like it's time to breed them.  so here's my question: i would love to breed the green 'male' to green females if he turns out to actually be male.  but the clock is ticking.   i know that females carry the sperm and can lay ooths without mating again.  but what i'm wondering is if i breed both females to the brown male, can the green 'male' still fertilize one of them later?   or will they just carry the brown male's sperm and not mate or not be fertilized by a second male?  i know that guppies carry sperm in the same way, but a female guppy can conceive by a second male.  what about mantises?  can they do it?

The coloration of a mantis depends on several factors (their parents coloration is not a factor), and the same mantis may often change it's coloration at different instars. From keepers who seem to produce green Ghost mantises (Phyllocrania paradoxa) more frequently, they usually contribute it to plenty of watering/misting/high humidity levels, and bright green colored plants/leaves in the mantids environment.

One such care sheet about the Ghost mantis describes it here..

The most common color for this praying mantis species is dark brown, but sometimes you can find light brown or even green specimens. The color of the skin is determined by the environment, a more humid environment provides a greener individual.

Another care sheet says this..

These guys tolerate a wide range of humidity, but if you want to increase your chances of getting a rare GREEN-phase Ghost, you will want to mist at LEAST every day. 

Sorry to say two green mantid parents will not influence their offspring's coloring (other than genetics which has the green coloration gene already obviously present) - only their care from the keeper and how much humidity is used will. It has been seen time and again from members getting green nymphs and then without daily misting (or sometimes with) the next molt the nymph will turn the more typical brown coloration. If it is a bred condition they would not be able to alter their coloration so easily - it isn't like dog fur color or such traits.

Then as mentioned by many senior keepers, a green male has yet to be seen (besides the photoshopped color image) - a long thread here. It seems to equate the green coloration in Ghosts, like the calico coloring in cats, strictly a female trait.

For more genetic information about it see this topic. Many other topics can also be found with a simple search for ghost color or similar search terms.

Regarding if the female can use the sperm from a 2nd partner over the 1st partner's is unknown, at least by me or any search. For coloration it has no bearing though as described above.

 

[mack]

thanks again for great info and the links.  i'd read that green was a primarily female trait, but didn't realize it was exclusive to females.  i'd somehow missed the part about humidity. i really appreciate your time and the information!

.

 

[CosbyArt]

thanks again for great info and the links.  i'd read that green was a primarily female trait, but didn't realize it was exclusive to females.  i'd somehow missed the part about humidity. i really appreciate your time and the good info.

Your quite welcome. I myself got interested in trying to bred for coloration at one point, but sadly learned it is not possible (even if some sellers have claimed otherwise due to their husbandry care/misting unwittingly), so I regrettably gave it up.

The only common pet/helpful species kept by many members here is the isopod that can be successfully bred for coloration; however, they are a not even a arthropod but a crustacean.