Sphodromantis Virdis (Giant African Mantis)

Sold as unsexed nymphs L5+.

Description:

Origin: Africa                                                Temperature: 25c to 30c.                 Humidity: 60% to 80%.                              Lifespan: up to a year females live longer then males

Feeding

L1/L3 Nymphs: should be fed on D.melanogaster fruit flies or D. hydei fruit flies.      L4/L5 Nymphs: should be fed on green bottle flies, blue bottle flies and small cockroaches          L6 Nymphs to adults: should be fed on blue bottle flies, large cockroaches or large locusts.      Nymphs should be fed every other day.                  Adults should be fed every 5 days.

Housing

 like all mantids, house in an enclosure at least 3 times the size of the mantis in hight and 2 time the size of the mantis in width

Size

thes mantis grows up to 10cm males are smaller

Sexing

when it comes to sexing mantids, females have 6 segments on their abdomen where as males have 8 segments on their abdomen.                      males are half the size of females

Moulting

Mantids moult a number of times during their life. Make sure the enclosure has enough vertical space for them to hang during moults. They may refuse food a day or two before moulting.Do not handle them immediately after moulting as the exoskeleton takes up to 48 hours to harden after moulting to prevent mismoults mist at least twice a day.