Where should I put ootheca

[MantidLord]

Okay, so one of my I. oratoria females layed the first ooth of the year And I'm very excited, as she was mated twice by the same male. Now, I oratoria is common in Nevada and last year, I found a couple of adults (male and female). But the oothecas started appearing in late November, December, and January. So I assume that's when the females were laying the oothecas. Now, I know that this species experiences a cold dispause, but with it still being 100+ degrees here, I'm afraid leaving them out would harm the eggs inside, or force them to hatch too early. I'm also cautious about putting them in the refridgerator, because they will be in there longer than wild ooths (August-May) opposed to (January-May), and the eggs could dry out. So my question is: WHERE SHOULD I PUT THEM!? I don't want them hatching now or burining out, but I don't want them freezing or drying out. Please someone help me.

 

[Rick]

Well if you leave it out it will hatch most likely. Why not let it hatch and then try your hand at raising some nymphs?

 

[MantidLord]

cause they'll hatch around winter

 

[Meiji]

cause they'll hatch around winter

I think in Nevada they'd probably be fine if you put them outside somewhere shady and let nature take its course. On the other hand, if you don't want to raise them in captivity I'm sure any number of breeders on here would (myself included).

 

[Andrew]

Did you catch the mantids yourself? If so, they'd probably be maturing and laying ootheca now anyways. Just keep the ooth outside and, like mentioned above, let nature take it's course. You may want to mist it once a week or so just to be sure it doesn't dehydrate if you live in a dry area.

 

[OGIGA]

I'd put it outside. Nature will take care of itself.

 

[MantidLord]

Thanks for the replys. I actually caught these mantids as L1 nymphs, and raised them to adults. But when I go outside, the oldest wild nymph I've seen was an L5. So I figured that because I feed the mantid regularly, I could have sped up the molting process a bit, making them a few molts ahead of their wild brethren, thus reproducing earlier. I plan on releasing half of the nymphs that hatch from this generation into the wild, and rearing the rest. I just didn't want the ooth hatching in the winter time, and me releasing nymphs to there doom.

I'll do what you guys said, and put it outside. It's hanging up in a jar, so I'll mist it once a week. I just thought it was odd, as I was sure this wasn't a "year-round" species. Thanks everyone, I'll let you know if anything happens.

P.S. I have four other mated females that may produce ooths soon. But last year, I had a couple of ooths, and not one hatched. So I'm very cautious.

 

[Orin]

Keep in mind nature is very cruel. Out of hundreds to many thousands of eggs only approximately two make it to adulthood each generation.

 

[chrisboy101]

Keep in mind nature is very cruel. Out of hundreds to many thousands of eggs only approximately two make it to adulthood each generation.

really?

 

[Rick]

really?

Of course. Otherwise you would find mantids everywhere you looked. It is the same for fish, other insects, frogs, etc. They lay hundreds of eggs at a time. That is the reason they do it. This is why if you go into a place that has a lot of mantids you will find a handful of adults but not much more. If all the thousands of nymphs that hatched made it to adulthood they would be everywhere.

 

[MantidLord]

Well, this species has about thirty eggs, not hundreds like chinese. I guess that's because the nymphs are survivors. I don't mind predators and such, I just don't want them to freeze once they hatch. I did put them outside, and it is very hot out there. Like I said, if they hatch, I hope they become adults before the cold months of december and january.

 

[Birdfly]

If the nymphs hatch much later in the season than naturally then i think its fair to say they wont reach maturity and mate/reproduce before the cold/end of season/lack of size see's them off?

Why not raise them as your first generation and/or share/sell any exess off

 

[MantidLord]

Actually, I intend to raise half as my second generation (I'm counting the L1 nymphs I found this year as 1st gen, cause they were hatchlings). Although technically next year would be my first actual hatching of this species, the mantids I found recently hatched. But I would like to release the other half into my backyard.

The fact that I had ooths all over my house walls (outside) in May signaled that I had a population of mantids. But they were just on the sides of my house, and the only thing other than my walls were the weeds that I got rid of (upon destroying the weeds, I found 10+ nymphs). So I figured that without real shelter and food (ahpids), the population dropped by 80%. So releasing them in the backyard where I have two small trees and some bushes (where no mantids have been found so far) would be me giving back to the ecosystem.

Although I wouldn't mind selling some nymphs as well. I didn't think anyone would want "common" Iris oratoria But alas, I only have two ooths so far produced from two different females. I suspect that I'll have 15+ ootheca by the season ends. Hopefully most, if not all will be fertile. Unlike last year. <_< Like I said, if anything interesting happens, I'll let ya know. But does anyone know if me captive breeding wild caughts could have sped the growth rate of the mantids by two-three months. After all, they do get fed more (obviously), but they're in room temperature, and outiside is 110 degrees farenheit (spelling?). So wouldn't my temperatures slow down the growth rate a little?

 

[Orin]

Actually, I intend to raise half as my second generation (I'm counting the L1 nymphs I found this year as 1st gen, cause they were hatchlings). Although technically next year would be my first actual hatching of this species, the mantids I found recently hatched. But I would like to release the other half into my backyard.The fact that I had ooths all over my house walls (outside) in May signaled that I had a population of mantids. But they were just on the sides of my house, and the only thing other than my walls were the weeds that I got rid of (upon destroying the weeds, I found 10+ nymphs). So I figured that without real shelter and food (ahpids), the population dropped by 80%. So releasing them in the backyard where I have two small trees and some bushes (where no mantids have been found so far) would be me giving back to the ecosystem.

Although I wouldn't mind selling some nymphs as well. I didn't think anyone would want "common" Iris oratoria But alas, I only have two ooths so far produced from two different females. I suspect that I'll have 15+ ootheca by the season ends. Hopefully most, if not all will be fertile. Unlike last year. <_< Like I said, if anything interesting happens, I'll let ya know. But does anyone know if me captive breeding wild caughts could have sped the growth rate of the mantids by two-three months. After all, they do get fed more (obviously), but they're in room temperature, and outiside is 110 degrees farenheit (spelling?). So wouldn't my temperatures slow down the growth rate a little?

It is surprising yours seem to be ahead of the wild ones, usually if you catch some they end up behind because of lower temperatures and less food. Unless you're pretty close to the correct timing there's no point in throwing them outside. I was trying to explain that nature is not a loving caretaker so if you put them out at the wrong time their chances go from slim to none. The reason you haven't found any on the bushes or trees is that's not their habitat, they like the weeds and associated food. They'll die if you release them to live on bushes (unless they can find a nice weed patch nearby).

 

[MantidLord]

Okay Orin, I see what your saying. It would be wishfull thinking to believe that the nymphs would reach adulthood before the cold months. Especially since they were created much earlier than normal. As far as the growth rate, I knew that me feeding them above the average food intake would increase their growth rate, but I thought the lower than average temperatures would even it out.

I never even considered the reason why I never saw them on trees and bushes. Last year all of the adults (male and female) I caught were just sitting on walls. I never saw them on the trees. If that's the case, then I'll either raise more nymphs, find a new release spot, or sell them.

But hopefully the ooth won't hatch this year, and go through the winter months fine, and hatch next year. What's the probabliity of that happening?

thanks orin