Ghost | Fatal Mantis

Ghost Mantis

Phyllocrania paradoxa or commonly called the Ghost Mantis is a beautiful and easy species to keep. They range in color from shades of light to dark browns to olive or deep green. They have some of the best camouflage and are expert ambush predators

Hailing from Madagascar and continental Africa they are a small mantis they are about 2 inches in size as an adult. With a wide range of humidity to temperature ranges, they are one of the best beginner species.

Feeding

Flying insects are the preferred source of food. As nymphs fruit flies are the ideal food source and increase to house flies and blue/green bottle flies as they get larger. They also will enjoy moths or other harmless flying insects. It’s recommended that the size of the feeder insect does not exceed 1/2 the mantis length.

Adults can eat crickets or roaches however they don’t often climb up high enough to where the mantis is hiding and go uneaten. Most pet stores sell fruit flies and wax worms that can be grown into moths. Larger flies can found easily from online suppliers or sometimes from bait shops.

Humidity

They can have a large range but prefer humidity from 60%-90%. Daily misting can meet these requirements.

Higher ranges of humidity will result in more green colored morphs.

Water:

Ghost mantises do not require standing water to drink and receive most of their moisture from their food. They will however drink water drops from misting. Good ventilation is required to prevent mold growth from higher humidity

Housing

Ghost mantises don’t require much space but the cage or container needs to be able to accommodate them as they grow. Generally the container must be 3x the mantis length and 2x for the width. It must be well ventilated to prevent the growth of mold

This species is not very cannibalistic and can be kept together if well fed and with adequate space. However it’s a smart idea to kept egg laying adult females separated as they can be ravenous eaters