Accommodation:
this species of mantis fare well at room temperature. It's best to keep
it around 25-30 C (77-86 F). A heat mat or heat lamp may be used to
maintain the desired temperature. Keep the temperature cooler at night
to lengthen the lifespan of the mantis. Warmer temperature speeds up
the metabolism of the mantis and will shorten its life span…and
in contrast, cooler temperature slows its metabolism and lengthens the
life span, but both extremes could kill it. Keep humidity at a constant
60%...too much humidity might induce fungal growth.
Caging:
their cage should be well ventilated with thick twigs for the mantis
to perch on. This species is an active predator and need plenty of space
to roam around. Plus given their large size, they will need a large
tank so they will not be inhibited. The suggested height is about 3x
the mantis' length and at least 3x for the L x W dimension. This species
is very aggressive to each other and very cannibalistic so they should
not be kept together unless during courtship.
Feeding:
this species is very voracious. They will gladly take crickets, roaches,
and moths as babies and will even tackle locusts and mouse pinkies as
adults. It's recommended that the size of the feeder insect does not
exceed 1/3 the mantis' length, but this mantis will tackle prey as big
as itself. Even though they are voracious and will attack anything,
do not offer them poisonous insects or wasps or bees as these could
seriously harm the mantis. To feed them, just drop the insect in the
enclosure and mantis will make short work of it. For non-moving prey
like mealworms, these can be pierced to excrete juices and offered by
tweezers to the mantis…just put it to their mouth and they will
grab onto the prey if they like it. Do not overfeed them, overfeeding
can not only shorten their lifespan, but it could also kill them. Watch
their abdomen, if it is very inflated, stop feeding them for a couple
of days, too much food could result in death for the mantids. As for
watering, this type will get its fluid from its food, but an occasional
spraying could be useful.
Molting:
a mantis will stop eating a few days prior to its molt. They molt about
every 2 weeks as babies and the time in between each molt increases
as they get older…so their last molt into adulthood can sometimes
take as long as 3-4 weeks. It takes about 8 molts for females and about
7 for males due to their large size. To pair up a pair of male and female,
speed up the growth rate of the females while slowing down the males'
with cooler temperature and less feedings…once the female has
molted into an adult, speed up the male's growth to molt him out. During
molting, it is vital that you do not disturb them and also make sure
that the humidity is at a safe level…too much humidity can hinder
the insect from drying out correctly and it might end up with bent legs
and crippled arms. The mantis will hang upside down from a branch or
the screen lid and will sometimes shake or spasm violently. Then after
a while, it worms out of its old skin and will hang out to dry. Make
sure that it has plenty of space to hang, otherwise it might hit the
ground and be crippled. Once it's dried, it will resume eating and being
its normal self.
Reproduction:
after 2 weeks since their last molt, introduce the female into
the male's enclosure near him. It would be best to mate the mantids
after 3-4 weeks instead. 2 weeks may be too soon and the female may
not be mature enough and might eat the male instead. And plus the male
needs to be fully matured or else he will be frightened of the female
and courtship might not take place. The female is very aggressive towards
the male so make sure that she is very well fed prior to this. If he
is ready, her presence would attract his attention and he'll try to
make his move. It could take hours before he does anything though. The
best way to initiate breeding for this species is to offer the female
a prey item and while she is busy, introduce the male behind her and
if he is ready, he will jump on her back. As she is busy with eating,
she can't grab him or throw him off of her. A mature female will remain
calm and allow him to attempt to mate with her. After a while of holding
on, the male will feel confident and will bend his abdomen down to connect
with hers and mating will commence. The time before the actual mating
can vary. Afterwards, he will run away and he must be removed or else
he'll be eaten.
Ootheca:
after a week or so, the females will be depositing her oothecae. This
species can lay around 4-6 oothecae. After 4-6 weeks of incubation at
30 C (86 F) and 70-80% humidity with an occasional misting, 100-150
nymphs will hatch out. These can be fed fruit flies a day or two after
hatching the moving onto pinhead crickets and so on. Then continue to
care for them as this care sheet suggests.
Additional
Notes: this species is very easy to rear. The nymphs feed readily
on fruit flies and will bravely take on crickets their own size. Overfeeding
could be a problem so take heed and never let them endulge themselves
on unlimited prey.
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