# Mantis Ootheca - help please!!



## summersniki (Mar 18, 2010)

I can't believe what a numpty I've been....I bought a Tenodera Sinensis ooth from ebay and have had it now for two or three days....I was dubious aas to whether it was fertile or not as no guarantees with WC ooths so tried to candle it and saw nothing....I assumed it was dead and opened it up to be greeted by loads of wiggly little grubs thingy's (developing baby mantids I guess)...I have put the ooth back together the best I can with thread and have re-hung it....thankfully I only opened the chamber a bit and closed it right away and closed the foam right back round it straight away....

Have I killed my baby mantids?:bash::bash::2wallbang::2wallbang:


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

summersniki said:


> I can't believe what a numpty I've been....I bought a Tenodera Sinensis ooth from ebay and have had it now for two or three days....I was dubious aas to whether it was fertile or not as no guarantees with WC ooths so tried to candle it and saw nothing....I assumed it was dead and opened it up to be greeted by loads of wiggly little grubs thingy's (developing baby mantids I guess)...I have put the ooth back together the best I can with thread and have re-hung it....thankfully I only opened the chamber a bit and closed it right away and closed the foam right back round it straight away....
> 
> Have I killed my baby mantids?:bash::bash::2wallbang::2wallbang:


 
Hard to say.

It's not ideal, but you clearly did not act out of anything but good.

Obviously the ooth is foamy and tough, to protect the developing mantids.

I honestly don't know anyone that has done it. Fingers crossed.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

There is also a bit of yammer that I found here for you, hope it is some help?

Nature's Best Mantis Chat Forum - So i found a oothecae (i think)

I believe someone mentioned yellow gooey stuff being inside if they're alive. I cut open one to check that it really was a dud, and I found dried up brown mantid nymphs inside because there apparently wasn't enough humidity







I suppose you'll find lots of air-holes and maybe one or two dried up nymphs if it's already hatched out.

If you cut it open and find yellow gooey stuff - or anything wet at all - the ones you cut through will obviously be dead, *but any others should be unharmed if you put it back as closely as possible to the shape it was when you found it. *If it's a week or so past Spring, they're probably walking around your garden eating small critters - and being eaten by other bugs or each other







Have a look, but remember they'll be easier to find in a month or so


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## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

Any ive bought from ebay have always hatched, too quickly aswell...bought a chinese mantis ootheca just like yourself sprayed it in a cricket tub in with moist kitchen roll as I was going to work and didnt have time to sort it properly ....put it in my T cupboard which is about 28 degrees came home after 12 hour shift and about a hundred like wee yellowy looking mantid bananas hanging off it and about 50 running about in the tub :gasp:

On you dilemma wait an see what happens, and believe me if they hatch you wont have to kill them they kill each other even with a million fruit flies in there...you always loose some to the bigger bullys :lol2:


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

sp1d8r said:


> Any ive bought from ebay have always hatched, too quickly aswell...bought a chinese mantis ootheca just like yourself sprayed it in a cricket tub in with moist kitchen roll as I was going to work and didnt have time to sort it properly ....put it in my T cupboard which is about 28 degrees came home after 12 hour shift and about a hundred like wee yellowy looking mantid bananas hanging off it and about 50 running about in the tub :gasp:
> 
> On you dilemma wait an see what happens, and believe me if they hatch you wont have to kill them they kill each other even with a million fruit flies in there...you always loose some to the bigger bullys :lol2:


How long did you wait before trying to separate them?


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## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

Mr Mister said:


> How long did you wait before trying to separate them?


By the time I got home some of them already had a mouth full of sibling :lol2: then hung the ooth up in a flexarium to finish hatching dumped a butt load of fruit flies in until they were all emerged some still had a pop at the other mantids...think certain species are just very cannibalistic :devil:


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

sp1d8r said:


> By the time I got home some of them already had a mouth full of sibling :lol2: then hung the ooth up in a flexarium to finish hatching dumped a butt load of fruit flies in until they were all emerged some still had a pop at the other mantids...think certain species are just very cannibalistic :devil:


They all are, no?

There may be one or two that can live as a colony.

Anyway, this person's ooth. Problem is, he has split it too early. Possible risk? Drying out now. Bacteria entering split, before they are ready? Possible solution. Ensure crack is sealed, and humidity kept well.


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## summersniki (Mar 18, 2010)

Well, I've got up this morning to one very lively nymph and one dead....here's hoping there's more on the way!! Thanks for all your comments


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

Why do people cut open ooths :lol2:
I must of have 1000 wc ooths or wc females and i have never cut open a ooth. Who ever told you to do it is a numpty.
Just because a ooth may look like it has hatched does not mean it has. wc ooths come in all shapes and sizes.
I have had people cut them open before and say it was empty just because someone on some mantid forum said so, and then it hatch on me after i swap it:bash:
Wc ooths are a tricky one and some times they dont hatch but thats the way it go's and thats why there so cheap.
I have had a £150 ooth not hatch before ''you win some you loose some''

I have had some wc D. lobata oothecas take over 6 months to hatch before and out of 3 ooths i got 220 nymphs:2thumb:

Anyone thinking of cutting up some ooths dont do it the hatch rate if any will be poor and no one will refund a wc ooth because the mating was not seen.
With wc ooths you take the risk. If it hatches you get lots of nymphs for not alot of money if it dont hatch then you diden't loose as much as you would if it was cb.

My advice is if you dont want the risk of buying a ooth that doesn't hatch weather its wc or cb buy some nymphs and breed your own.


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## summersniki (Mar 18, 2010)

Just to let everyone know....I've just come home from work to find about 100 nymphs in my container...yaaaay!!!:flrt:


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

My other half chucked away a H.mem ooth he had had for nearly a year. Came home to find it had hatched in the bin lol


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