Reptile & Amphibian Forums

had my mantis for 2 months and today she has laid an ooethca, we haven't mated her so I assume it will be unfertilised? should I remove it immediately?

If she was not mated then yes it will be unfertilized. You don't have to remove it right away. Better if you wait a few days for it to dry.

Yeah, its most likely not fertile, but I had an ootheca hatch out from this species 3 months after I captured the female. If you look at the post "who here has hatched a carolina mantis ooth?" below you will see. Apparently there is no limit how long it can take a mantis to lay its ootheca after mating.

-Andrew

Yeah three months after you CAPTURED the female. Now if you caught it in the wild how do you know it was not mated? There might be some species that can have fertile ooths without mating but I have not seen it. He never stated what kind of mantis were talking about here either. My carolina mantis just molted into an adult. When she lays her ooths I will keep them to see if they hatch. That way I know that she was unmated.

From everything I have read, it doesn't happen every time a female lays an ooth and hasn't mated. Its a spontaneous occurrence. Im starting to think that this may be why a mantis will continue to lay oothecae even if it hasnt been mated - because there is still the chance that it will hatch through parthenogenesis.

-Andrew

Well the body will always produce eggs regardless of mating. The eggs are produced from the start of maturity. I just have never seen an unmated mantis ooth hatch.

It is a very rare occurrence. Some people have experienced it.
Check out this link and you will find a person that has experienced it.
LINK

I acknowledge that it has happened. But it seems very rare. I was not saying that it can't happen.

Note that birds and reptiles both produce and lay eggs even when unmated.

Also, one shouldnt believe everything they read, especially on the internet.

-L
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www.Wildeyereptiles.com

Check the site for available insects

I agree with Rick and Leah. I have never seen any credible evidence of parthenogenisis in any mantis other than Brunneria borealis (which naturally reproduces that way). Even on the off chance it were true the percent hatch is supposedly close to zero anyway.
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