# Breeding Orchid Mantids (Hymenopus coronatus)



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Hi, My female Orchid is now just over 4 weeks mature as an adult, she is eating well and looks quite fat, I have a new male who is about 3/4 weeks mature, I want to pair them up, but wondered shall I wait for a while more?

And would you put them together on a plant? or in their pots?
Any other tips?

Thanks


----------



## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

Normally with this sp. the female is ready after about 3 weeks and the male about 1 week but it depends on the conditions. I would say they're ready


----------



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

I'd say wait another 2 weeks, we waited until the female was 6 weeks mature and had a perfect pairing. The male was 5 weeks mature at the time. 

The males are good to go until they are 8 weeks mature, so you should be ok to wait. 

I worried about the size difference between this species, if she isn't ready she could eat him with like one bite lol! 

I always say the longer you leave it the better, means she will definitely be ready, also if you've not seen her call or lay any ooths, waiting a little while won't hurt.


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks  she is massive compared to him,
I will leave it another week, I've noticed she is eating loads recently?
Would you introduce the male to her while she is eating?

Cheers


----------



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Oski1 said:


> Thanks  she is massive compared to him,
> I will leave it another week, I've noticed she is eating loads recently?
> Would you introduce the male to her while she is eating?
> 
> Cheers


You can do, but I found the most success happens when the male is relaxes, so put him down first, then introduce her. Then if you want, get her to eat, but we've never fed the female during mating. We find if she is ready, she won't eat him. 

The orchids are very lenient when they are ready to breed.


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

vivalabam said:


> You can do, but I found the most success happens when the male is relaxes, so put him down first, then introduce her. Then if you want, get her to eat, but we've never fed the female during mating. We find if she is ready, she won't eat him.
> 
> The orchids are very lenient when they are ready to breed.


Thanks for the replys I will leave them another 1/2 weeks, My male matured 2-3 weeks ago so should be ok, Do you find the males hardly eat?


----------



## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> *You can do, but I found the most success happens when the male is relaxes,* so put him down first, then introduce her. Then if you want, get her to eat, but we've never fed the female during mating. We find if she is ready, she won't eat him.
> 
> The orchids are very lenient when they are ready to breed.


I've found this to be the case with many species and quite an important factor IMO, I've had more success when taking it into consideration.
When breeding my C.gems the way I would choose the male was by picking the one that was on the top of his pot(if more than one were like it then I would consider other factors like how well fed, date of last mating etc.), then all I had to do was take the lid of and get him in to position. This way he remains chilled out.
If the male was at the bottom or on the side I would have to coax him out which causes a bit of stress and makes him jumpy


----------



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Oski1 said:


> Thanks for the replys I will leave them another 1/2 weeks, My male matured 2-3 weeks ago so should be ok, Do you find the males hardly eat?


Yeah, they need to keep them self streamlined for when they jump onto the female and fly off alive.


----------



## Metamorphosis (Feb 25, 2008)

*mantids*

Hi

Having bred plenty of Hymenopus I would say that your pair are close enough to put together, these are quite an easy species to mate, but the first thing the female will do is try and lift her wings once the males jumps on and taps her, if the male is too light at this point he is a poor mate so the female flips him off and quite often eats him, so feed the males prior to pairing. I would also suggest that you do keep well gut loaded flying food in the pair whilst they are together (this can be several days before they couple) to avoid disappointment.

Regards

Graham & Janice


----------



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Metamorphosis said:


> Hi
> 
> Having bred plenty of Hymenopus I would say that your pair are close enough to put together, these are quite an easy species to mate, but the first thing the female will do is try and lift her wings once the males jumps on and taps her, if the male is too light at this point he is a poor mate so the female flips him off and quite often eats him, so feed the males prior to pairing. I would also suggest that you do keep well gut loaded flying food in the pair whilst they are together (this can be several days before they couple) to avoid disappointment.
> 
> ...


Not sure if it was luck, but we waited until she was 6 weeks mature, he connected within 5 minutes of being on her back. :lol2: The next day I had to play find the male in our front room, but it was a good pairing.


----------



## Metamorphosis (Feb 25, 2008)

*matids*

Hi
This species will show some variation in mating, but normally you find the male will stay with the female for a few days, quite happily feeding when needed and tapping her wings to remind her of his presence, and in fact quite often they will couple several times, but like most species this can change according to how close the female is to laying, the male will leave the female whilst she lays, and when we have run trials on them, the male will stay away from the female for a few days whilst she refills with food and then get back on her and re mate quite easily.
Regards
Graham & Janice


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Well today I put my very fat looking female on a huge fiscus I have at home. and then put the male behind her on a branch of the fiscus he watched her for a while and that was it lol, any tips or is it a case of try again tomorrow?

cheers,


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Tried again  he has jumped on now and is playing the drums on hers back with his front legs, but nothing has happened yet, he has been on for 10 mins ish.


----------



## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

Give them time, the males of this sp. have a habit of hanging on for a while, he'll do it when he wants to


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Ben.M said:


> Give them time, the males of this sp. have a habit of hanging on for a while, he'll do it when he wants to


Hi mate he is drumming loads now and has sat slightly to the side and trying to bend his back end under her wings, but it seems she is not interested?


----------



## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

Is she trying to get the male off her wings or does she seem restless???


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Ben.M said:


> Is she trying to get the male off her wings or does she seem restless???


She has not tried to get him off, she has not moved really I fed her and that's all she has really done


----------



## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

That's good then, assuming she responds well to the physical copulation, it's all down to the male


----------



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Sometimes takes the male a while to get it in, you know what men are like. :whistling2:

As long as he is trying it must mean she is giving off the right signals, so just leave them be and hopefully you'll get a connection soon. :no1:


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

Just checked again , they still have not moved.


----------



## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

They are still together but not connected?? He is occasionally drumming on her back still,But not as often, are they ok to leave like this?I don't think they have actually connected yet.


----------

