Sphodromantis

[Nosy be]

Hi

I am new to this forum but have been keeping bugs and herps for almost my whole life. I recently got a male and a female giant african mantids. They are both adults but I do not know exactly how old the male is but the female hatched out in the end of May. I tried mating them but the male took no interest in the female. The breeder I got them from told me the female has not layed any ooths yet. Are they too young to mate? I will leave them for a few days and then try again I suppose. Th are both in 2 gal buckets will crix superworms and silkies.

 

[ismart]

Just use Rick's technique for mating mantids. If the female tries to eat him or goes nuts when he jumps on her back that usally indicates she is not ready. Wait a few days and try again. Oh and it usally helps if the female is well fed before pairing them up.

 

[Rick]

Welcome. Just keep trying. Also, check out the introductions forum.

 

[Nosy be]

Welcome. Just keep trying. Also, check out the introductions forum.

Thanks. They are in together right now and the male just doesn't do anything. He doesn't even attempt to mount her. Maybe he is not ready?

 

[sufistic]

Thanks. They are in together right now and the male just doesn't do anything. He doesn't even attempt to mount her. Maybe he is not ready?

First sign that he will mount her is when he is only focusing on her and nothing else. If there's a lot of movement in the background, he will not even look at her unless she's moving at a steady pace in front of him. If he notices her and 'locks on', he will attempt to move towards her if he is behind her. If she's facing him head-on, chances are he will freak out and attempt to hide, fly or stay still. Even if he notices her, he will not move unless the female is moving. If he notices her but doesn't 'lock on', then he's not ready.

That's a lotta 'if's. Sorry if I'm confusing you. Just remember that as long as he isn't focusing on her, he will never mount her. To get him to notice her and move towards her, the female must move in front of him. Good luck.

 

[Nosy be]

First sign that he will mount her is when he is only focusing on her and nothing else. If there's a lot of movement in the background, he will not even look at her unless she's moving at a steady pace in front of him. If he notices her and 'locks on', he will attempt to move towards her if he is behind her. If she's facing him head-on, chances are he will freak out and attempt to hide, fly or stay still. Even if he notices her, he will not move unless the female is moving. If he notices her but doesn't 'lock on', then he's not ready.That's a lotta 'if's. Sorry if I'm confusing you. Just remember that as long as he isn't focusing on her, he will never mount her. To get him to notice her and move towards her, the female must move in front of him. Good luck.

Thanks for helping me out. So I put them together again following Ricks mating guide exactly all up to the point where he mounts her. He notices her and points his antennae towards her and starts rocking back and forth and maybe takes a step or two but then he stops. I tried bringing the female closer to him but then they both freaked out and ran around flapping their wings. I put them together in a medium sized terrarium and I think I am just going to leave them there until some action. Should I try cutting his head off? Does it usually work?

 

[Rick]

Thanks for helping me out. So I put them together again following Ricks mating guide exactly all up to the point where he mounts her. He notices her and points his antennae towards her and starts rocking back and forth and maybe takes a step or two but then he stops. I tried bringing the female closer to him but then they both freaked out and ran around flapping their wings. I put them together in a medium sized terrarium and I think I am just going to leave them there until some action. Should I try cutting his head off? Does it usually work?

Don't cut his head off! Follow my technique again but let him be when he notices her like that. He was probably about to leap onto her when you moved her. If nothing happens after several minutes you can use something long to prod her AWAY from him. Those are usually easy to mate. If you just leave them together he will most likely become lunch.

 

[Katnapper]

Don't cut his head off! Follow my technique again but let him be when he notices her like that. He was probably about to leap onto her when you moved her. If nothing happens after several minutes you can use something long to prod her AWAY from him. Those are usually easy to mate. If you just leave them together he will most likely become lunch.

+1

 

[sufistic]

Don't cut his head off! Follow my technique again but let him be when he notices her like that. He was probably about to leap onto her when you moved her. If nothing happens after several minutes you can use something long to prod her AWAY from him. Those are usually easy to mate. If you just leave them together he will most likely become lunch.

+2

 

[Rick]

Or you can just put him on her back. I do that probably most of the time lately and it often works.

 

[Nosy be]

Or you can just put him on her back. I do that probably most of the time lately and it often works.

Ok so he is on her now trying to connect but she is giving him a rough time. What I did was I left him overnight with her to see if that would spark his interest. It did and I saw him following her around so I took them out and tried getting her to walk away from him. He mounted her and now he is walking around my room. Is it okay to move them back into their tank now? I don't want to leave them loose all day or through the night. Thanks a lot for helping me out.

 

[Nosy be]

Now they are just sitting there doing nothing. I tried blowing on him but that didn't seem to wrk. I am afraid if I try to gently squeeze his thorax he will freak out again and leave the female. What should I do?

 

[Rick]

He seems like a young male. I would leave them be personally. He will likely eventually connect. I sometimes leave mantids loose in a room so that the male has room to fly away when done.

 

[Nosy be]

He seems like a young male. I would leave them be personally. He will likely eventually connect. I sometimes leave mantids loose in a room so that the male has room to fly away when done.

Okay thanks, I will leave them be. They are now contained to a medium sized screened area so I will leave them their until they seperate.. or worse.