Indian Flower Mantis (Creobroter pictipennis)

Indian Flower Mantis Creobroter pictipennis
Name	Indian Flower Mantis
Name Lat.	Creobroter pictipennis
Family	Flower Mantids
Family lat.	Hymenopodidae
Order	Praying Mantids
Order lat.	Mantodea
Origin	South and Southeast Asia
Habitat	Shrubs and grassland
Diet	Flying insects
Humidity	50-70 %
Behavior	Predatory
Keeping	Individual
Care Level	Easy
Housing	Semi humid terrarium
Breeding	Moderately difficult
Life Span	3-10 months
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	3-4 cm
Temperature Day	25-30 °C
Temperature Night	20-22 °C
Housing Size	20 x 20 x 30 cm
US Units
Size	1.2"-1.6"
Temperature Day	77-86 °F
Temperature Night	68-72 °F
Housing Size	10" x 10" x 10"

Distribution and habitat

The diurnal Ceylon Flowering Mantis is distributed from the south of India over Sri Lanka to the Malay Peninsula and Sulawesi. There it lives in the bush and grassland mostly on the flowers of various shrubs and grasses and occurs as a cultivator also in gardens

Maintenance

For a female an insectarium of 20 x 20 x 30 cm (L x W x H), for a group of up to 5 males 30 x 30 x 50 cm, can be recommended as a guideline, which should be placed in a quiet place without sunlight. A cover of gauze or fine metal mesh is recommended. You will need an insectarium structured with thin, strongly branched climbing branches (hiding places, privacy screens), dense planting and flowers (also artificial) with a cork back wall, as well as a small, shallow drinking vessel with water gel or a cotton trough. Artificial or live plants with flowers (e.g. Ficus pumila, Scindapsus aureus) can be used for decoration. The substrate of coconut fiber, vermiculite or sand-clay-peat mixture (terrarium humus) should always be kept slightly moist. Every 2-3 days the insectarium should be finely sprayed with water inside (humidity), but a rain or mist system is better. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs.

Temp. day: 25-30 °C

Temp. night: 20-22 °C

Humidity: 50-70

The lighting duration should be 12 hrs. Light sources that also produce the necessary heat are ideal.

Diet

They are predatory and seize prey, preferably flying insects, at lightning speed with their spiny tentacles. The food supply should consist of crickets, house crickets, flies (Drosophila) and grasshoppers as well as moths, small arachnids and cockroaches. It is important to regularly add minerals and vitamins (e.g. by dusting the feeders). The quality of the feeders can be enhanced by feeding overripe fruit and honey water. A few days before, during and after molting, they refuse to eat. During molting, no predatory feeders (e.g. crickets) should remain in the insectarium, as during this time the animals are unprotected and may become prey themselves.

A varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.

Reproduction and breeding

The females, which are barely able to fly, are larger than the slimmer males. The males have 8, the females only 6 abdominal segments.

After mating, which can last up to several hours, the female lays the first egg package (ootheca) after about 2 weeks, 2-8 more can follow. At a temperature of about 30 °C and a humidity of 60-70 % 25-100 nymphs hatch after about 4-6 weeks. The young are small, black and resemble ants (mimicry). They should be fed immediately with small fruit flies or microheims so that they do not eat each other (cannibalism).

After imaginal molting, males live for about 3-5 months, females up to 10 months.

Important

Before mating, the female should be offered a large food animal to reduce the risk of her eating the male. It is recommended to keep females singly, males can be kept in a group (approx. 5 animals)

They have very good camouflage due to their body shape and coloration and their often prolonged immobility. When threatened, they raise their wings to the side and show their usually milky white, black-rimmed eye spot as a deterrent.

Before purchasing, an insectarium should be prepared to meet the species specific needs. Good ventilation without drafts is necessary, as well as equipment for measuring temperature and humidity. The lighting must correspond to the day-night rhythm appropriate for the species and must be installed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The insectarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Special attention must be paid to thorough hygiene and contamination must be removed regularly.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Serena Werle; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: HENKEL & SCHMIDT (2010): Taschenatlas Wirbellose für das Terrarium, Verlag Ulmer; ENGELMAN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch