What does it mean?

[Termite48]

I hesitated to post this questiom but I must. I see nothing else in the others postings, so here goes. In general, what does it mean when an adult female lays foamy (ooth-like) deposits all over She put three on a window curtain when out and about Friday. Then upon bring placed back in a net cage, she placed three smaller deposits here and there, and then finally a loger one. These range from 3/8" long to about an 1" for the last one. I know that she, being an adult female Violin needs to be bred. I have no male, and am wanting to get together with someone for this. I have an offer to mail her, but now I am hesitating because of the risk factor in damaging her with those spindle-like legs. Does anyone have a word of knowledge generally about what I have observed. Even better, is there a Violin Breeder who can give me specific info regarding how long the female might be receptive of a male when this kind of thing happens? Help, please!

 

[sporeworld]

I saw that a couple of times with Ghosts and Violins. They all eventually laid complete ooths. I don't remember any of them specifically being infertile (more the exception than the rule in personal experience).

 

[Ntsees]

2 possiblities in my experience: 1) the mantid lost grip of the surface it was clinging to when trying to lay the ooth and so the ooth wasn't completed and 2) your mantid is just that way.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Thats what it is, just ooths that she is not finishing. don't know why they do this, but some do... :blink:

 

[guapoalto049]

I had this happen with a budwing. She deposited two really frothy masses, lighter and smaller than a regular ooth. They were both after a fertile ooth and before another fertile ooth. They never hatched, but the ones before and after them did!

 

[psyconiko]

Miscarriage...

 

[Termite48]

To my knowledge, the adult female Violin to which I am referring has not been bred. She is still depositing something right now. Actually it is stuck to her genital area and not separated from her as I write this at 2:50 PM PST.

 

[patrickfraser]

Sounds like she wants to be a momma, but doesn't have a daddy to pin it on.

 

[PhilinYuma]

As Sporeworld and Hibiscusmile say. This can happen with fertile or unfertilized females . I have some unformed and some (infertile) but small gongy ooths lying around somewhere. Try giving her more food and more humidity when this happens., but even that doesn't always work!

 

[sporeworld]

I don't recall thinking "maybe she hasn't mated", so I'm assuming that wasn't the case for me. It's possible on the fringe, that those odd ooths COULD cooincide with a change in diet (wild cuaght moths, crickets in a pinch, etc), but, again, I can't recall thinking that at the time (which would have been more obvious). Wouldn't rule it out, though.

What I WOULD do, if this is female is part of a colony, is isolate her, and see what she does undisturbed. Also, tag that ooth - we'd all like to hear that it was fertile, and thus rule THAT out.

Also, i wouldn't completely panic about mis-shapen ooths. I had a ghost ooth no longer than a dime pop out 10 perfectly healthy nymphs. Also had an Idolo ooth that was a shapeless blob produce ONE... ONE healthy nymph. The tease...

 

[Rick]

I've seen that in multiple species. I don't believe it is normal. As was mentioned being mated doesn't seem to have any bearing on this behavior.

 

[Termite48]

Thanks to you all for sharing your thoughts and observations. After posting this, and on Wednesday of this week, May 18th, she was mated by a male owned by another member and this showing to me she was more than ready to get "jiggy wid it" and this will be done a few more times before she is returned. I will keep my eye on the little blobs, who knows what might become of them.

 

[jetsky82]

Thanks to you all for sharing your thoughts and observations. After posting this, and on Wednesday of this week, May 18th, she was mated by a male owned by another member and this showing to me she was more than ready to get "jiggy wid it" and this will be done a few more times before she is returned. I will keep my eye on the little blobs, who knows what might become of them.

Let us know if she lays normal sized ooths, please!

 

[bonibaru]

Thanks for sharing what you have observed. It is interesting to read and to learn.

 

[ismart]

I have had this happen from time to time with infertile ghosts. It seems more like there just trying exspell excess foam, or even eggs without making a full ooth.