Breeding Platymeris biguttatus

[MaelRadec]

So now that both of my P. biguttatus matured into adults I decided to house them together. As soon I put them together one of them pounced on the other. I panicked at first but then realized that it was trying to mate with the other. So I got extremely lucky by getting male and female pair. Interestingly enough, the male started making a sort of chirping sound? I never knew they did this as it's my first experience with assassins. Just thought I'd share a video I got of them. Apologies for the video/sound quality but if you listen carefully you can hear the male's chirp.

 

[chanda]

That's great! I've got a trio of Wheel Bugs (two males, one female) that I'm going to try breeding. So far I've been keeping them separate because I'm afraid they'll eat each other, but after I feed them today I'm going to move two of them over to a bigger cage and see if they'll make babies for me.

Maybe I should play your video for them? A little porn might help put them in the mood!

 

[MaelRadec]

Lol yeah give it a shot! I made sure that both were fed well before putting them together just to be sure. Have you bred any species of assassins before?

 

[Tenodera]

What a sweet observation, glad you got the video! I've been caring for these for years and still haven't gotten to watch them mate.
Adults of this species rarely cannibalize if they are well-fed; they can be kept in large groups if you want to.

The chirping is made by scraping the rostrum against the thorax.

 

[louise f]

Congratz with the mating, well soon you will have a lot of those lil buggers running around, nice vid

 

[chanda]

Lol yeah give it a shot! I made sure that both were fed well before putting them together just to be sure. Have you bred any species of assassins before?

No, this is my first attempt. The only assassins I've ever kept before were Apiomerus californicus (California Bee Assassin) and they're easy enough to find around here in the late spring/early summer, so I never tried breeding them. The only things I've ever bred are Damon diadema and Mantis religiosa.

 

[MaelRadec]

No, this is my first attempt. The only assassins I've ever kept before were Apiomerus californicus (California Bee Assassin) and they're easy enough to find around here in the late spring/early summer, so I never tried breeding them. The only things I've ever bred are Damon diadema and Mantis religiosa.

Nice! I've been wanting to get a couple D. diadema. Always found them extremely fascinating.

 

[MaelRadec]

Congratz with the mating, well soon you will have a lot of those lil buggers running around, nice vid

Thanks! Do you by any chance know how long after a successful mating does the female start laying the eggs?

 

[louise f]

Thanks! Do you by any chance know how long after a successful mating does the female start laying the eggs?

I´m not to sure how long time after mating they lay eggs, because mine lay eggs all the time. I have 8 adults in same enclosure. But i know when the eggs is layed, there will go around 3 weeks before the little ones hatches
These are mine little buggers

 

[MaelRadec]

I´m not to sure how long time after mating they lay eggs, because mine lay eggs all the time. I have 8 adults in same enclosure. But i know when the eggs is layed, there will go around 3 weeks before the little ones hatches
These are mine little buggers

You got a pretty nice colony going there!