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(1-27-07)
Currently, I have 12 adult orchid mantis female, they are mated, and i have multiple
ootheca expecting to hatch in different times, expecting some to hatch in a week.

By the time i got home, i realized that instead 3 of my orchid ooth hatched!! They were laid by 3 different orchid female (well
obviously!) on 09-Dec-2006! So it took all 3 ooth 53 days to hatch, which is the longest I have ever experience. I am guessing this is
due to the colder weather due to winter season. During Summer, all the ootheca hatched before 45 days of incubation. Anyway, just
glad that all of the ootheca hatched. I have another round of ootheca hatched in two weeks, guess it will be another day of orchid
raining. oh dear! I have moved all the nymphs into a net cage.

(1-31-2007)
This morning, i have a rare chance of watching orchid nymphs hatching out in front of my eyes. Watching the grubs like nymph crawling
out from the ooth and then "molt" into L1 nymph is pretty fascinating, I took a couple of pics but had to go to work. Here are 2 of the pics.

(2-5-2007)
I should have included this in the beginning of the log. Anyway, here is the list of my breeding culture (adult)

1 x original breeding stock from Malaysia (Female)
2 x new blood from Germany (Female)
9 x first generation from the original breeding stock (Female)
6 x first generation from the original breeding stock (Male)

Some of my last batch from the first generations molted into L4. They are feeding house flies now.

The first batch of new generation (second generation) molted into L2 recently.

The rest of L1 (second generation) nymphs living in the net cage are still taking fruit flies in the net cage, very few casualties so far,
which mean I have more hungry mouth to feed, I wished more L1 nymphs were dead!! Just kidding !!! : P

And I have 12 oothecae incubating right now.

(2-7-2007)
This morning - one of the longest incubating ooth after - 55 days - hatched! i was about to give up and cut open the ooth. Luckily I let the
ooth go for another day and the patient pay off as i have at least hundred nymphs hatched today!