Zebra Mantis Caresheet

Housing

The Zebra mantis (Omomantis zebrata) should be kept in an enclosure that is at least 3 times as tall as the mantis is long, and at least 2 times as wide as the mantis is long. Females can get up to 3 inches long as adults, while males get around 2 inches long. It must have adequate ventilation, and some kind of material on the ceiling of the enclosure which will allow the mantis to hang upside down during molting, as well as an empty space at the top which is at least 2 times the size of the mantis.

Temperature & Humidity

The ideal temperature for this species is about 80°F, but they can tolerate a range between 75°F and 85°F.  Humidity should be kept between 40% and 60% relative humidity (RH).

The enclosure should be given a light misting once a day so they can drink.  Most mantises do not like getting sprayed directly, so it is best to try and spray around  the mantis, but if you get them a little wet by accident, it is usually no big deal.  Use spring water, distilled water, or water filtered by reverse osmosis (RO), but do not use plain tap water.

Feeding

Giant Asian Mantises have voracious appetites, and are not picky about what they eat. As adults, these mantises are good candidates for larger prey items, such as cockroaches.

• L1 to L2 nymphs:  Should be fed D. melanogaster fruit flies.
• L3 to L4 nymphs:  Should be fed D. hydei fruit flies.
• L5 nymph to adult:  Should be fed house flies or blue bottle flies.

Before choosing to feed any of your mantises crickets, please read Is it Safe to Feed Crickets to Your Praying Mantis?

Finally, refrain from giving them poisonous insects such as wasps and bees.