Female T. canicularis Finally Dies

Female T. canicularis Finally Dies

I checked the terrarium today. The dark female that oviposited briefly last evening has expired. However this doesn't mean that it didn't oviposit for as long as the other female that I marked, it just means that I didn't observe it. It may have oviposited as many eggs as the other female. It's just that I wasn't there to witness it.

The male and the female that I marked still seem to be alive and well. This is strange because at least 24 hours have passed and they are still alive. Only the dark female has expired.

I am having doubts as to whether or not this female mated with the male. It may be that females still go through with ovipositing without mating like female Periodical Cicadas, it's just that the eggs are not viable.

I will have to conduct an experiment where I leave one female in the terrarium on its own to observe if it oviposits or not. No males must be present. Eliminating the presense of males will definately solve the question of viability and if female Tibicens oviposit without mating.

The female would have to be obtained as a teneral in order to assure that the female hadn't mated prior to being captured. It should be easy enough to obtain a female.