Susanna's babies are hatching

[CosbyArt]

Well my wait is over, it took 86 days (12 weeks or 3 months) for my first mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), Susanna's, first ooth to hatch!

She missed the birth of her babies by only exactly 2 weeks. It also answered the question if her ooths were fertile - she laid 8 ooths total.

Strangely only two nymphs have hatched so far, but after a wild Carolina ooth I incubated hatched one mantis a day for three days, I'm not too worried yet. Is it typical for small amounts of mantises to hatch from the same ooth like this?

The first four ooths she laid I started incubating after they hardened enough to be remove from her habitat. The last four she laid I have in diapause until it is closer to spring so several can be released in my backyard for Susanna to live on in my local mantis community where I rescued her.

Here is one of Susanna's babies...

The nymph is so tiny it actually climbed and sit in my arm hair, which I didn't know until I examined the photos -

 

[Bloodtkr]

I love how big the eyes are when they're tiny. Congrats ; )

 

[LAME]

LOL oh nice!!!!!

Congratulations, again!!

 

[CosbyArt]

I love how big the eyes are when they're tiny. Congrats ; )

They are some huge eyes, guess it is a common trait in all babies. Thanks

LOL oh nice!!!!!

Congratulations, again!!

Yeah I'm excited I've got her babies. So far just the two though (maybe more soon), but hopefully they make it to adults without issue.

 

[LAME]

I'm sure they will! You've had much success in raising your first mantis plus hatching multiple ooths now? I'd say they're in good hands friend.

Though curious, how many nymphs are you up to now? Lol XD

seriously though, great job dude.

 

[dmina]

Congrats! How wonderful.. I am so happy Susanna's ooths were fertile.. hooray!

The pics are awesome... Too cute! keep us updated...

 

[MantidBro]

sweet! lol thats funny, it hung out on your arm hairs!

One time i had an ooth that on the fourth day hatched more out, i thought they were finished, i put the ooth on my bureau for a keep sake and noticed little nymphs crawlin around later lol

 

[MantidBro]

wow it took three months to hatch?!

 

[CosbyArt]

I woke up to find one more of Susanna's nymphs had hatched and was waiting patiently in the container.

I had rigged up a webcam to a clear window I put in the incubating container set to record photos of any motion. For one reason or another the dang thing was moved off the ooth and missed all the hatching action. I guess the camera mount slowly moved or was hit by one of my cats. Anyway I got a shot of the new baby with the camera by manually moving it, before I dismantled the webcam setup.

I'm sure they will! You've had much success in raising your first mantis plus hatching multiple ooths now? I'd say they're in good hands friend.

Though curious, how many nymphs are you up to now? Lol XD

seriously though, great job dude.

I have 11 total nymphs now, 7 are L2 now and the rest are L1. One from ooth #10, seven from ooth #11, and three from ooth #1 (Susanna's ooth).

There are still two ooths incubating now for 30 days (both I got from you), four of Susanna's ooths, and the three previously hatched ooths incase they have any nymphs left.

Time will tell how many more hatch, or more accurately how many survive beyond the crucial first three days.

Congrats! How wonderful.. I am so happy Susanna's ooths were fertile.. hooray!

The pics are awesome... Too cute! keep us updated...

Thanks I am too. I will update this topic as they hatch.

sweet! lol thats funny, it hung out on your arm hairs!

One time i had an ooth that on the fourth day hatched more out, i thought they were finished, i put the ooth on my bureau for a keep sake and noticed little nymphs crawlin around later lol

Goes to show how tiny they are

Nice surprise for you, thanks for responding to my question. So far I've had one hatch almost daily for 5 days. Agent_a also said it is common for one to hatch sporadically for up to two weeks - so I got my fingers crossed that I'll get more than the three nymphs so far.

wow it took three months to hatch?!

Yeah 3 months, that it did. The ooth was laid Sunday October 26, 2014 and I begin to incubate it within days. The first nymphs to hatch were two, on January 17th, a whooping 84 days after it was laid.

 

[CosbyArt]

Ooth #3 from Susanna had a so-called scout hatch earlier today. I have three from that hatch in their own cups.

That is a total of 5 nymphs from Susanna that I have in cups right now. Two of the previous nymphs molted to L2, and one got stuck half out of its exoskeleton and died, the other is doing fine. Also I found one simply dead in it's cup.

Seems if the nymphs make to L2 they have a great shot at life, before that not so much.

 

[LAME]

I'm glad you got some offspring of your first mantis, maybe you could keep her going further on into the future with a next generation. =)

 

[CosbyArt]

I'm glad you got some offspring of your first mantis, maybe you could keep her going further on into the future with a next generation. =)

That would be great, but with such small hatches there sure isn't many to go around. I do have four of her ooths in diapause still so I am hoping to get better results with those closer to spring (that way I can release several back to the wild).

I think the low hatch numbers are related to the low humidity because of winter/indoor heat. I now even have the incubation containers with a few inches of coconut substrate that is kept quite damp, but it is likely too late to help. Time will tell if the ooths are holding out on a large hatching still or not.

 

[PlayingMantis]

Those are very, very cute, and I love those big round eyes!

 

[CosbyArt]

Had one nymph hatch today (or is it yesterday now ).

I caught it as it started to emerge from the ooth, as just a head. When I got my camera out it had already managed to pull out it's legs and begin to dry.; but at least I got to see it. Seems they always pull their raptor forelegs out first. A few minutes later it was running around the container.

Those are very, very cute, and I love those big round eyes!

Thanks, they are cute. They are also special as my first mantis laid the ooths.

 

[dmina]

I have missed every hatch... It must happen at night?

 

[CosbyArt]

I have missed every hatch... It must happen at night?

Sorry to hear that, you are bound to catch them sooner or later though. The ones I've witnessed have hatched during the day - usually between 2pm and 6pm. Although my larger main ooth hatches did so in the mornings sometime between 5am and 7am, the coldest part of the day right before the sun comes up.

Even though the ooths are inside I have noticed more of the small scout hatchings and such the day after we have gotten rain. I guess the extra humidity has helped them hatch.