I woke up this morning to the news that the mantids had begun hatching from the egg case (aka ootheca) and were filling up that little bag.
I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen and had been wondering if the case was a dud. Turns out I was just too impatient. I bought my egg case about 3 weeks ago and have since learned that the case requires that much time with fairly steady warm temperatures and reasonable humidity. If you’ve got a case that isn’t hatching, don’t give up on it.
Here’s another photo of the tiny critters moving about. I opened the bag and placed it in a small tank so the babies could hatch and harden their exoskeletons in a sheltered spot. It’s a bit cold out there right now and I’m slightly worried about throwing them to the weather wolves, so-to-speak. Only a few hours old and I’m clucking around like a mother hen. About praying mantids, insects designed to fend for themselves moments after emergence.
Please note I am NOT keeping these mantids as pets. There are simply too many of them, and a tank is not an appropriate environment for so many mantids. Plus, they’ll be ready to eat their first meal in a day or two. I did put two scouts outside (we’re calling them Bill & Ted) to see how they do before unleashing the masses. The remaining, oh, 100 odd mantis nymphs will be going outside very soon, although I’m keeping one for a short time to watch its progress. He/she is already in a separate container away from his/her’s cannibalizing siblings. If you’d like to learn more about keeping mantids, there’s a ton of information online.
This is the tiny mantid I plan to keep. He/she remains unnamed. Any suggestions?
Isn’t he/she a beauty? Such fascinating little critters.
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