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I am planning on hatching a carolina mantis ooth. I have done a chinese mantid one so far. Are the carolina nymphs much smaller? I know that the ooth should not hold as many which is a good thing. Just worried mainly about the size of the nymphs. Will they be able to eat the same flies as my chinese nymphs? Thanks.

I got a very nice hatch from a female through parthenogenesis a while back. The nymphs will be plenty big to eat fruitflys. you shouldnt have any problems with getting them to eat.

-Andrew

Parthenogenesis eh? Did you catch this female as a nymph or as an adult?

Adult, but I had her for about 2 months before she started laying.

Not familiar with that term but is that when they lay fertile eggs without ever being mated? If so I would think that your mantis had mated before you found her.

Yes, its where the female produces fertile eggs without being mated, but all offspring are clones of the female. My female didnt mate before I found her. There is no way it took her 2 months after mating to lay her ooth.

You absolutely must assume that she had mated then, even if it took two months for her to lay an ooth. Please believe me on this one!

comparing 2 weeks to 2 months, I dont think so.

I agree, you cant base the time taken to lay on any set number. Many factors are taken into consideration with the time needed to lay.

Carolinas are not a parthogenic species that I have ever heard, and it doesnt just happen spontaneously.
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www.Wildeyereptiles.com

Chamaeleo quadricornis
Uroplatus phantasticus
Uroplatus ebanaui
Uroplatus fimbriatus
Uroplatus pietschmanni
Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Phyllocrania paradoxa
Blepharopsis mendica
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Gongylus gongylodes
Creobroter gemmatus
Parasphendale affinis
Sphodromantis lineola
Hierodula grandis
Chalcosoma caucasus
Dynastes tityus
Dynastes granti
Allomyrhina dichotoma
Haplopelma lividum
Poecilotheria regalis
Epebophus murinus
Acanthoscurria geniculata

I dont think anybody really knows which species are capable of it, and in my opinion, since so many species are capable of it, all of them are capable, its just a rare occurence.

Forgot to add this to my other message, but the other ooth she laid did NOT hatch.

I don't want to seem bitter or belittling(sp?), but you must trust Leah and I on this one. I do have a degree in entomology if that helps you trust me a little more. I have worked with mantids for many years, and have experienced everything you have mentioned EXCEPT parthenogenesis, a matter fact I have a female P. paradoxa, and her 6th oothecae did not hatch, but her 7th and 8th have. Also if a certain mantid female laid one parthenogenic ootheca, theoretically all of her oothecae should be parthenogenic. Also a number like "2 weeks" that you see on many caresheets is an average or what most commonly occurs, but does not necessarily always occur. Hope that helps!

Ok lets get back on the topic. We all know that the mantid laying without mating is highly unlikely. So I was just wanting to know the size differences between teh carolina and the chinese. I don't want to have to get a different food source for the carolina. I have several batches of flightless fruit flies now.

Yes, carolinas can easily handle flightless fruit flies. They are not much smaller than a T. sinensis when they hatch out. You should get 15-45 out of one ooth.

Jesse - I have noticed some interesting hatching sequences in P. paradoxa as well. I had a female lay 16 ooths ( and all of them hatched until about the 8th one laid. Then they started picking up again around the 12th and the hatchling count went up with each successive ooth after the 12th. I havent noticed that kind of behaviour very frequently. Found it terribly interesting. I think it is directly related to availability of food.

Anyhow, I am sure more experimenting will be shortly forthcoming as I've had a few adults molt out this week.

-Leah
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www.Wildeyereptiles.com

Chamaeleo quadricornis
Uroplatus phantasticus
Uroplatus ebanaui
Uroplatus fimbriatus
Uroplatus pietschmanni
Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Phyllocrania paradoxa
Blepharopsis mendica
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Gongylus gongylodes
Creobroter gemmatus
Parasphendale affinis
Sphodromantis lineola
Hierodula grandis
Chalcosoma caucasus
Dynastes tityus
Dynastes granti
Allomyrhina dichotoma
Haplopelma lividum
Poecilotheria regalis
Epebophus murinus
Acanthoscurria geniculata