What causes a praying mantis not to lay eggs?

[KobeM]

Hy there, I have been in the hobby for a while but I have never seen this before.

So my Dyroplatys Lobata became an adult female like 2 months ago, she has been really fat for about 4 weeks now so I’m waiting for her ootheca (have paired her so normally it will be a ferilized egg sack) but she doesnt lay them! Online I can’t find anything what can cause this, so that’s why I ask you if you know what can cause a praying mantis not to lay her egg sack.

temperatures and humidity are perfect in the enclosure and she eats really good.

I hope one of you can help me out and maybe help me find a way to “stimulate” her to lay her eggs.

thank you! Greets

KobeM

 

[hibiscusmile]

Once they get egg bound and with her, I would give her another 2 weeks before you decide she is, they rarely ever then lay an ooth. I think, just my opinion that they may have the right temps and humidity, but the life of a feral (lol) mantis has much more in it's environment. It will have wind, storms, dry spells, sometimes no food, probably some fights as in having to protect it self and regular sun touching them without being in a hot container to be cooked.  So imagine you in a cell, you still live, but you do not flourish.  And that's my opinion on the matter. 

 

[hysteresis]

Hey there.

Deroplatys sp are notorious to hanging on to oothecae as long as they can, in waiting for a mate. You can often mate one and shell drop an ooth same-night. You have this working against as-is you if she's unmated.

Place clean paper towel underneath her to see if she's dropping frass. If she has a blockage, that could be the culprit. Too much build up in her abdomen will put a lot of pressure to other structures in her abdomen involved with producing oothecae.

The best regime ive heard and used )as stated above, with mixed success only) is to elevate temps and make the mantis drink as much as you can. If this means spraying her head and raps three times a day, then do it. Lots of water to hydrate the mantis.

So if her digestive tract is clear, and shes well hydrated, I feed a high-moisture prey item. A large one at that - say a small hornworm. Something that completely feeds her without doubt. They often lay within a couple days of something like this.

The downside, if it doesnt work, now shes super bottom heavy. I've had a heavy lobata literally rip in half where the abdomen connects to the thorax. Not nice.

Good luck!