what the hay...

[JSaff86]

it looks like he's just chillin on her back and showing no interest to me. When the male's make a mating attemt they usually lock there raptors together just above the wings and the beggining of the thorax. Im kinda thinking this wasnt a mating attempt just a place to climb on. I would try it again just make sure the female is walking or in motion. If the female is just sitting there not moving the male might just be using her as a stepping stone lol. She must be in motion to catch his interest or he will never make an attempt. The first time i tried getting my male to mate with my female she just sat still and the male climbed on her back and i thought they would mate. Instead the male just sat there for few seconds then climbed right on her face and she grabbed them and i had to intervene quick lol!

The male will never climb on when making an attempt either he will jump or fly in a very rapid motion.

 

[sueb4653]

ok this is good to know

 

[happy1892]

it looks like he's just chillin on her back and showing no interest to me. When the male's make a mating attemt they usually lock there raptors together just above the wings and the beggining of the thorax. Im kinda thinking this wasnt a mating attempt just a place to climb on. I would try it again just make sure the female is walking or in motion. If the female is just sitting there not moving the male might just be using her as a stepping stone lol. She must be in motion to catch his interest or he will never make an attempt. The first time i tried getting my male to mate with my female she just sat still and the male climbed on her back and i thought they would mate. Instead the male just sat there for few seconds then climbed right on her face and she grabbed them and i had to intervene quick lol!

The male will never climb on when making an attempt either he will jump or fly in a very rapid motion.

Certainly he was trying to mate. They often do just pinch and climb onto the female (It has with one time with Blue Flash and four times with Chinese Mantids and two times with Carolina Mantids with me). But the Pseudoharpax virescens I had did what you said was the way they do it when they try to get on the female to mate. I think it is different with each species.

 

[hopefoot]

Precarious - That video is awesome! What kind of camera are you using?

 

[JSaff86]

Certainly he was trying to mate. They often do just pinch and climb onto the female (It has with one time with Blue Flash and four times with Chinese Mantids and two times with Carolina Mantids with me). But the Pseudoharpax virescens I had did what you said was the way they do it when they try to get on the female to mate. I think it is different with each species.

it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.

 

[sueb4653]

it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.

the video didnot show him moving his abd towards hers but he definitly did

 

[happy1892]

it is different with each im sure. What i have seen with my limited experience is that the female must be moving or else the male will just ignore her and may just use her for climbing spot. Ive had a few attempts with my 2 female chinese where the male would climb on the females back but not make an attempt. its not necessarily an attempt just because the male climbs on her back. I could place a random object at the top of my mantids tank and they will seek out tht spot everytime and climb on it. So in my opinion i would say its probably not an attempt.

Yes, you are right about that but the way they move is very different from when they are trying to climb higher. The male just has to know the female is there and the only I have seen the male notice the female was when she moved. I guess they must have smelled the pheromones. When a male tries to mate with a female he first grabs onto her with a sudden act (I have had males look like they were striking at the female to eat her then slowly crawl to the right position after he has a grip (on her wings, abdomen and they pinch hard). I have had males fly right onto the female pretty accurately like what you said happened to you each time. I have had males move their antena a lot while trying to connect and his thorax bent down but when the male is just crawling over the female trying the go higher he lifts his head and then the female eats him.....

 

[OctoberRainne]

With my asians I had to keep resetting the male,cuz he would wander away from her.If he wants it tho,once he feels like hes got a good approach angle or direction,I use from behind so I can watch the female and make sure she doesn't reach round and grab him,he should leap onto her,once hes clamped on as long as he doesn't move off her midsection he should eventually slide into place and reach around to her,if you can't get him on her,then I say try to move him so he is a little ways behind her or diagonal with her rear so he feels like he can read her,or try to place him on her,but you have to make sure he really doesn't get grabbed and the female is busy eating or content for that method.I used the screen lid to a giant lizard cage for that species so both were able to hang upside down,that seems to work,it did take us trying twice though to get the male to stay on her,probably just re-itterating what others have said in my own way lol but hope that helps any,I also use diagonal placed clamped logs for mating so the male can climb around it and find where he wants to be in relation to her,and that way they get that upsidedown or vertical feel as well if they choose to.

 

[happy1892]

With my asians I had to keep resetting the male,cuz he would wander away from her.If he wants it tho,once he feels like hes got a good approach angle or direction,

I think he just did not notice her and if he saw her and was right in front of her I think he might have jumped on her anyway but still it does seem to matter to the male if she is facing him or facing away from him.