Mantid oothecae help

[Solid Snake]

Ok, I have recently moved to the middle of nowhere and have found a ton of mantid oothecae! Now, some are hatched, some are not. What I need to know is, are these still viable? We have had an unusualy hot, and dry summer, and I am not sure if that has effected them, or the time frame in which mantids hatch as in time of year and such. So are these possibly viable? Or are they gone already? I have yet to find a single mantis in the bushery beneath them ;( But if there's a chance they are viable I will secure them immediatly, as Stella loves them Oh, I am in the Texas pan-handle area still. Thanks...

 

[pssh]

They could be. If you dont know what a spent ootheca tends to looks like, it's best to just keep it. What kind of mantis are they?

 

[Echoezra]

I don't know about Texas weather, but around here they hatch in the spring or early summer, eat and grow all summer, lay ooths around early fall, then the adults pass away when it gets cold. The ooths are designed to protect the eggs over winter, so they'll hatch again in late spring.

 

[Solid Snake]

Thanks! So ill assume they will hatch in the spring, I've read its best to just keep them outside, so ill make a mesh cage to pop them into, and just watch them untill next spring, its alright if they freeze then? Or should they be protected from frost/snow? Thanks again...

 

[Solid Snake]

Oh, and I'm not sure of the species, the only type I've seen here are bright green, and maybe 3 inches long at most, the ooths are yellow/whitish and approx. One and a half inches long 3/4" wide, and a 1/2" tall...