Giant Mantis Hierodula sp

The stage of the praying mantis is from L3 to L6

Information

Hierodula is also called Giant Mantis in English.

A Hierodula is easy to care for and grows large, making it a popular beginner species. Read more here for basic information about this special insect.

Appearance

This type of praying mantis is usually light green, but there are also yellow, beige, and brown variants. The beige animals, when adult, appear somewhat pinkish. The difference in color is mainly related to the environment in which the animal is kept. They can develop a different color within a few days.
This is one of the largest species of praying mantis successfully kept in captivity. Females grow larger than males. Males are narrower with slightly longer wings. Females are wider, with wings that reach the abdomen.

Behavior

Hierodula is a fierce type of praying mantis. It actively hunts its prey once it has spotted it. A cricket walking on the bottom of the enclosure is quickly noticed, and the chase is soon on. The prey then quickly ends up in the raptorial arms of this predator.

Food

Adult Hierodula can easily be fed adult crickets, as well as cockroaches and sub-adult locusts. They can also handle large adult locusts, but there is a small chance they might get injured by the jumping legs if they don't grasp them properly.

Environmental Requirements

The ideal temperature is about 24 °C, but room temperature is also fine. At night, it can be slightly cooler than during the day, but at least 18 °C.
This species does not have high demands for humidity, but it is important to mist daily or every other day. A guideline humidity is about 40 to 65%. Being too humid for too long is the number 1 cause of death for this species.
As with all praying mantis species, this species needs an enclosure that is at least 3 times the length of the animal in height, and at least 2 times the length of the animal in width. For an adult animal, this means at least 27 cm in height and 18 cm in width. A good size for a terrarium would be 20 x 20 x 35, so there is also room for artificial plants and many perches.