Unfertilised Ootheca

[libertine101]

I have seen on this forum that females will produce unfertilised ootheca, but some species will produce fertilised ootheca without being near a male. Is Sphodromantis centralis one of these species? Do all females lay unfertilised ootheca? What should I do with it if my mantis produces one? Would it be wrong to remove it once laid?

 

[The_Asa]

All females produce oothecae whether mated or not. However there is no solid proof that any one species produces fertilized oothecae without a male. The topic has been discussed but never finalized. If your mantis lays an unfertilized ootheca then there isn't much point in keeping it, as it is useless. However, if you think that it may be fertilized then you can remove it from the cage. Just wait for it to harden.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Oh! I concure!

 

[Dwaink]

All females produce oothecae whether mated or not. However there is no solid proof that any one species produces fertilized oothecae without a male. The topic has been discussed but never finalized. If your mantis lays an unfertilized ootheca then there isn't much point in keeping it, as it is useless. However, if you think that it may be fertilized then you can remove it from the cage. Just wait for it to harden.

Hi,

From what i have read in this forum, there is no way to tell an unfertilized Oothecae from a fertilized Oothecae. This is something only time will tell depending on species.

Regards

 

[Rick]

All females produce oothecae whether mated or not. However there is no solid proof that any one species produces fertilized oothecae without a male. The topic has been discussed but never finalized. If your mantis lays an unfertilized ootheca then there isn't much point in keeping it, as it is useless. However, if you think that it may be fertilized then you can remove it from the cage. Just wait for it to harden.

You're wrong. Brunneria Borealis produces viable ootheca without mating. In fact there are no males. To the original poster......if your female is not mated she will produce ootheca throughout her adult life. They will not hatch. You can remove them of course. There are very few that can produce good ooths without mating so just plan on that.

 

[The_Asa]

Happy Mantis-If you have mated the mantis, then the ootheca is probably fertile.

Rick-How'd I know someone would correct me? My mistake. It appears that there is one species that lays fertile ooths without a male. Sphodromantis centralis does not.

 

[collinchang635]

Can somebody tell me how to tell if an ooth is fertile or not? If it is, how long will it take to hatch? I think I have a lot of Tropidomantis ooths around my garden. I think that because i caught a tropidomantis nymph in my garden.

 

[Christian]

There is only one obligately parthenogenetic species known, the one mentioned by Rick: Brunneria borealis. There are, however, some other species which are facultatively parthenogenetic: Brunneria subaptera, Miomantis paykullii, Mantis religiosa, Eumusonia livida and a few others.

In most species, unfertilized ooths cannot be distinguished from unfertilized ones. There are some species in which it is possible, though, but this is a matter of individual experience. It cannot be explained in a way that people have a guide to judge their ooths.