Stagmomantis Carolina Hatched!

[ZoeRipper]

Hey guys!

Long time no post.

Well, I had an S carolina ooth from Rick, and it started hatching 2/18/10 and it quit hatching 3/10/10. I got somewhere around 25-ish nymphs out of it, and out of that 8 have survived. I now have 7 L1s and 1 L2.

But I have a question. Forgive me if I'm putting wayyy too much into this, but might there be a correlation between species and the amount of L1s that die and survive from the initial hatching? Does anyone know anything about this? (PHIL.)

Also, Pokemon is on Cartoon Network. Yeehaw!!

 

[kitkat39]

Hey guys!

Long time no post.

Well, I had an S carolina ooth from Rick, and it started hatching 2/18/10 and it quit hatching 3/10/10. I got somewhere around 25-ish nymphs out of it, and out of that 8 have survived. I now have 7 L1s and 1 L2.

But I have a question. Forgive me if I'm putting wayyy too much into this, but might there be a correlation between species and the amount of L1s that die and survive from the initial hatching? Does anyone know anything about this? (PHIL.)

Also, Pokemon is on Cartoon Network. Yeehaw!!

I don't really know too much about the question that you are asking, but I recently hatched some "Carolinas" out as well. First time with this species... I'm beginning to wonder if they are even Carolinas to begin with because from what I've read you're not supposed to have THAT many. I probably had the same amount hatch out of that ooth as I would a Chinese ooth which is like double the size. If I put up a picture of the ooth, would someone be able to help me ID the thing?

 

[Rick]

I don't really know too much about the question that you are asking, but I recently hatched some "Carolinas" out as well. First time with this species... I'm beginning to wonder if they are even Carolinas to begin with because from what I've read you're not supposed to have THAT many. I probably had the same amount hatch out of that ooth as I would a Chinese ooth which is like double the size. If I put up a picture of the ooth, would someone be able to help me ID the thing?

Yes.

Zoe,

It is pretty common for L1 nymphs to die for no obvious reason. They are very fragile. In my case I don't mind so much because I get left with the strongest. Also, it isn't easy to care for a ton of nymphs. This way you have enough to easily manage.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Yes.

Zoe,

It is pretty common for L1 nymphs to die for no obvious reason. They are very fragile. In my case I don't mind so much because I get left with the strongest. Also, it isn't easy to care for a ton of nymphs. This way you have enough to easily manage.

I completely agree with this, Zoe, but it is harder to come up with an answer as to why this is so. I think that it is a matter of economics. Insect ecologists talk of the "biomass" that a given environment (a bush, an acre of grassland, etc) can support. Some animals, often egg layers, produce so many offspring that if they all grew to adulthood, their numbers would exceed the amount of food ("biomass") available. Such a strategy is useful, particularly in univoltine (one generation per year) critters where the mother, long dead, is unable to care for her young. In nature, I suspect that the weak and the unlucky S. carolina nymphs would become food themselves, rather than a drain on limited food resources. In some documented cases, early mantid nymphs are a food source for spiders, but as the survivors grow, their roles are reversed and the nymphs prey on the spiders.

In captivity, where there are no predators, the weaker nymphs simply die, rather than becoming prey to their brethren as is sometimes suggested. Having watched L1 nymphs milling around on a number of occasions, I suspect that the stress of multiple encounters with their peers also hastens the death of weaker nymphs.

And that's all I have. Perhaps you, with your excellent observation and careful note taking, will increase our knowledge on this subject.

 

[charleyandbecky]

Hi Zoe...I hatched some Carolinas in November. I had about 30 hatch out and of those, 7 survived to adulthood. I lost most of the ones that passed between L1 and L2. Two had bad molts later on, and the rest survived. I love this species. Good luck with them!