Violins - When To Mate?

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Kermit said:
Yes a fine light mist. Or drips where they can access it.
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Ok, thanks! The mating went very well, and they connected several times over about six hours. I will try again on Friday to make sure the female is fertile, but I am very happy with them! Now if only my budwings would cooperate.....

- MntisGirl13

 
@Kermit

Alright, now I'm confused. She obviously was mated a few days ago, but she is still calling? I tried to mate them again today and the male would have none of it! He was flying away and when I did get him to mount, he got on sideways and would not turn around! 

Does this calling behavior mean the previous mating was not successful? Why is my male so crazy now when he was so docile earlier?

- MantisGirl13

 
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the male needs to recuperate and rebuild his reproductive stuff LOL. I always separate them after a mating so that the female does not add him to her diet which is natural for her to ingest the nutrients she needs to produce a healthy egg sack. I always separate the male and hydrate and feed him as much as he wants. Keep him warm, but not hot. He will be ready to reintroduce in about 1 week. Separate them as far away as possible otherwise the male becomes accustomed to the pheromones that the female is producing as she pulsates in heat AKA calling! The female should also eat as much as you she can. She needs the nutrients to lay as big of an ootheca as possible.

Remember that the female will live far longer than the male so the male needs to be taken extra care of. Leaving him in with the female can cause undue stress. That is perhaps why he is flying around and resisting the mating.

The female will continue to call because she is in heat. just because she mated it does not mean she is not still in heat... if you had a different male and introduced him to her than they would again successfully copulate.

Bottom line is he is done and she is not! LOL.

She will be back in heat on and off over 2 or so months. Maybe longer.

The pressure is really off now that they have successfully connected. Now the female should be fed and kept safe. She will lay an ootheca in two to three weeks. 

The male will live only about an average of one month after turning adult. Unless he is extra strong and kept well-fed and hydrated he could live a few more weeks.

I love this species! It is sad however how long the females last and live yet they become very debilitated and they have a difficulty eating in there later part of their life. They are incredible but as they age they become very clumsy and require special netting for them to hang and suspend themself from the top of the enclosure.

Glad to hear that you have made it to this point with one of my favorites! Please keep me posted!

🐸

 
@Kermit Thanks so much! I do not keep this species communally (Due to a cannibalism accident at L4) so the only time the female and the male are even in the same room is for mating purposes. I have been keeping them in separate rooms. I guess I will try to mate them again next week. 

I got confused because I have only bred ghosts before this and the male was back and ready to mate after just a few days.

I will keep feeding both of them and give the male some extra attention. 

I don't think I could have had a successful mating without your support, so thanks so much! Violins are definitely one of my favorite species too.

- MantisGirl13

 
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The female is happy and fat in her enclosure with lots of appropriately sized twigs. The male is warm in his cage under the heat lamp. They both seem happy, and I think Valentine (the female) has stopped calling.

- MantisGirl13

 
She will mate even when she is not calling. It's the male that needs to be ready. He will be after he eats and drinks for a few days. Like I said before the pressure's off! Sounds like you successfully got the job done. Congrats

 
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Kermit said:
She won't mate even when she is not calling. It's the male that needs to be ready. He will be after he eats and drinks for a few days. Like I said before the pressure's off! Sounds like you successfully got the job done. Congrats
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Ok! Thanks! She is REALLY fat now, so I am hoping for an ooth soon!

- MantisGirl13

 
@Kermit

Um, it has been over two weeks since she was mated and she still has not laid. Is this normal? 

- MantisGirl13

 
Totally normal. a lot of times they can become egg bound if they are not properly hydrated. Make sure that she has plenty of drip water available. Not just spray rather drip.

Just because she went two weeks does not mean she is egg bound but you should make sure to continue to properly hydrate her so that doesn't happen. Overfeeding and not too much water is my leading theory for why they experience egg binding.

I have to check my records but I think they lay around four to five weeks after turning adult.

🐸

 
Kermit said:
Totally normal. a lot of times they can become egg bound if they are not properly hydrated. Make sure that she has plenty of drip water available. Not just spray rather drip.

Just because she went two weeks does not mean she is egg bound but you should make sure to continue to properly hydrate her so that doesn't happen. Overfeeding and not too much water is my leading theory for why they experience egg binding.

I have to check my records but I think they lay around four to five weeks after turning adult.

🐸
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Ok, thanks. I will give her more water. 

- MantisGirl13

 

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