Wild caught European mantis produced ooth, whats the next step?

[1stmantidman]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

https://imgur.com/gallery/Zmk6g

Caught an adult female mantis regiliosa and after a day in my care and 1 large grasshopper she laid an ooth at the top of her enclosure! In a couple of hours it will have been 2 days that the ooth has laid to dry. What do i do next? Since the ooth was going to be produced anyway in the wild, im assuming this is a species that lays their egg cases in the fall and then they overwinter to hatch in the spring. Shall i keep the ooth attached to the outside of my shed in the natural fall conditions? Or should i preserve it in the fridge? Also how do i go about extracting/removing the egg case from the enclosure. The lid has built in plastic ventilation and the ooth foam has oozed into the ventilation cracks to dry there. Need advice! 

 

[CosbyArt]

The answer to many of your questions is that is up to you. Personally though I prefer to take ooths inside so I can help prevent more parasitic wasps in my area (by killing any that hatch, and primarily by taking in female mantids to prevent the parasitic wasps from getting a chance to lay their eggs in a mantid ooth to start with).

Regarding your other questions, I will post links to a few of my previous comments on the subject as it is has been all wrote out already several times actually - if you want to see more just do a forum search. If though you have a specific question along the way just ask.

 

[1stmantidman]

Thanks. I will look over the reference material. I definitely should have done a forum search first with this topic, but every other time I've used the search feature for a particular piece of information, I have struck out 2/3 times. Probably because my searches were pretty specific. I figured the only way to get answers was by posting, and that did help with my few first threads. The search option had just completely left my train of thought  :wacko:

 

[CosbyArt]

Thanks. I will look over the reference material. I definitely should have done a forum search first with this topic, but every other time I've used the search feature for a particular piece of information, I have struck out 2/3 times. Probably because my searches were pretty specific. I figured the only way to get answers was by posting, and that did help with my few first threads. The search option had just completely left my train of thought  :wacko:

Your welcome. The trick to using the search is to be as general/generic as you can as some members will use generic terms, and others will stick only to scientific terms. I try to provide both in my posts to make it easier to understand, easier to find in a a search, and with the scientific data so further information can be obtained online accurately. In time you should get the search function down, and it is worth it as the search provides a wealth of information from so many keepers (past and present).

 

[1stmantidman]

Some great stuff in those links, appreciate it.

 

[CosbyArt]

Some great stuff in those links, appreciate it.

Glad they were of help. If you have any specific questions, or something is unclear just ask.

 

[1stmantidman]

Using your 2oz container method, i placed the ooth in such a container with 3 holes poked with a hot needle. As the hatching will not happen in diapause in the fridge, is it ok that i placed the ooth in the container free? I just placed it at the bottom not attached to any stick. Am i right to assume this is fine? Then when i remove the ooth to incubate i will properly orientate it upside onto a stick for the hatching.

 

[PyroCinnamon]

You live in Utah as well? Cool! In the Provo/Orem area there are very few wild mantises. What part of Utah do you live in? It's cool to see a fellow mantis keeper in the beehive state! 

 

[1stmantidman]

I actually live in Salem, but i work in Lindon. And before that i worked in orem right off center street. I have actually seen a mantis in my neighborhood in salem. Now that ive caught this european at work, thats 3 spotted at my work total! Actually the first sighting was right at our warehouse cargo door. It was the mantis that got me into the hobby. The way it turned and looked at me, i was fascinated. Then reports of a flying mantis around the area (i was already looking for a male for my female chinese). In search of this male i found the female european! If i had to theorize i would say the appearance of the mantids are due to my companies building being only two months old, with another building still being built. All the construction is probably bringing all the bugs out of hiding as i found grasshoppers here all the time too!

 

[CellyBean]

do the ooths need to be put in the fridge as soon as they're laid?

 

[CosbyArt]

do the ooths need to be put in the fridge as soon as they're laid?

Nope, as long as it is in the first week or two at most that is fine; although, everything you could possible want to know is already said in the links given.

 

[lynnea2015]

I found a Chinese mantid and she paid me for her food and warmth with 3 ooths.  I live in Wisconsin and freezing winters.  Since I put these ooths in the fridge ..how long or at what outside temp should I bring them out to live in a container on the porch.  Lynne living with a diva orchid (tiny Tessa) and Chinese Nickaletta

 

[Connor]

You can put them on the porch whenever you like. Don’t forget that wild ooths live outside during the winter. But I would put it outside once it’s starts to get to spring time.

 

[lynnea2015]

Thank you for your reply.  I have a plastic set of drawers that I could put the ooths in ( each in a little lidded cup ) so the wind wouldn't' take them away...l would imagine that toward spring l wouldn't want moisture to consume it..rot it, mold it?

 

[Connor]

Yeah that could work. Not sure what you meant about the moisture. The outside humidity levels should be perfect as again, they hatch out in the wild.