hey guys. ive been keeping a mantis that i caught in my backyard now for about a montyh. today, i noticed she laid a big eggsac. does anyone here know what i should do with the eggsac? i want it to hatch, but im not sure of the proper handling or even the incubation period of mantis'. also, where should i keep the sac? right now, it's in a lil kritter keeper. any info would be appreciated.
mantis question.. 411 please
- Thread starter OB-1
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Do you know what species you have?
Also, has the mantid molted since you've had it? If 'yes', the mantid was not mature when you captured it and (unless you introduced a male) the egg case (ootheca) is not fertile.
Is the ootheca is more-or-less round (maybe with one flattened side) and about the size of a ping pong ball? If so, it's likley a chinese mantid, an introduced species over much of the US. Incubation period roughly 30 days at room temp. The babies will escape from the Kritter Keeper as they are very small.
A good book on keeping mantis is available here:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/elytraandantenna/index.html#mantids
Wade
Also, has the mantid molted since you've had it? If 'yes', the mantid was not mature when you captured it and (unless you introduced a male) the egg case (ootheca) is not fertile.
Is the ootheca is more-or-less round (maybe with one flattened side) and about the size of a ping pong ball? If so, it's likley a chinese mantid, an introduced species over much of the US. Incubation period roughly 30 days at room temp. The babies will escape from the Kritter Keeper as they are very small.
A good book on keeping mantis is available here:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/elytraandantenna/index.html#mantids
Wade
it hasnt molted since ive had it. the mantis is a light cream color, smaller then the normal green ones ive seen in my area. also, the eggsac is no where near the size of a ping pong ball. it has more of an oblong shape to it. i figured the kritter keeper wouldnt be able to hold the hatchlings, is there a way i can transfer the sac safely to a better container w/o damaging it?
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Hmmm...
Possibly a Stagmomantis sp., a native. S. carolina is the one we have here, it's pretty widespread in the US although I don't know if it gets all the way to the west coast. Maybe yours is S. californica.
Is it attached to the lid? That will make it tricky. Your best bet would be to transfer the entire Kritter keeper into a larger tank with a fine screen lid. If that isn't possible, you may be able to remove the ootheca by gently pushing it sideways, or by pushing down from the top to loosen it. Once it's off, you can glue it to a stick. I try to use something non-toxic like elmer's white glue. Obviously, only apply glue to the side that was adhered to the lid! Once dry, you can set the stick in a tall jar. You can use some moist paper towels in the bottom of the jar for humidity, but don't let it get too damp. Ventilate through the lid by cutting out a large section and hot-glue in screening. Window screen is fine enough to keep the mantids in, but not the fruit flies in you will need to feed them.
The babies will usually start canibalizing pretty quickly, so you will want to split any up you want to keep soon after hatching. I've raised Stagmomantis to adulthood in 32-oz deli cups. The cups must be vetilated well, so you can cut out a scection of the lid and glue in a fine mesh. Be sure to find something fine enough to keep in the fruit flies.
For rearing the babies, I would highly recomend the book I mentioned above.
Wade
Possibly a Stagmomantis sp., a native. S. carolina is the one we have here, it's pretty widespread in the US although I don't know if it gets all the way to the west coast. Maybe yours is S. californica.
Is it attached to the lid? That will make it tricky. Your best bet would be to transfer the entire Kritter keeper into a larger tank with a fine screen lid. If that isn't possible, you may be able to remove the ootheca by gently pushing it sideways, or by pushing down from the top to loosen it. Once it's off, you can glue it to a stick. I try to use something non-toxic like elmer's white glue. Obviously, only apply glue to the side that was adhered to the lid! Once dry, you can set the stick in a tall jar. You can use some moist paper towels in the bottom of the jar for humidity, but don't let it get too damp. Ventilate through the lid by cutting out a large section and hot-glue in screening. Window screen is fine enough to keep the mantids in, but not the fruit flies in you will need to feed them.
The babies will usually start canibalizing pretty quickly, so you will want to split any up you want to keep soon after hatching. I've raised Stagmomantis to adulthood in 32-oz deli cups. The cups must be vetilated well, so you can cut out a scection of the lid and glue in a fine mesh. Be sure to find something fine enough to keep in the fruit flies.
For rearing the babies, I would highly recomend the book I mentioned above.
Wade
KevinsWither
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S. Californica for sale?