Ghost mantis

Phyllocrania paradoxa is an African leaf-mimicking mantis, also recorded from Madagascar. Adults are commonly around 5 cm long; males are slimmer than females. A quiet, motionless posture is often part of hunting and camouflage. Confirm the scientific name rather than relying on a decorative trade name.

Choose one mantis and ask for its developmental stage, feeding history and sex if known. Lifespan depends on sex and conditions, and a winged adult has already finished its growth moults. You will need a reliable supply of live prey, including very small flies for a young nymph.

Keep ghost mantises separately because cannibalism remains possible even where communal tolerance is reported. Provide ventilation, secure overhead grip and stable branches. AES recommends a clear drop beneath the moult perch of at least four body lengths. Measure that space after adding plants and substrate: a nominally tall box can still leave too little room.

Species keeper guidance describes a broad 20–30°C range, often favouring around 26°C; general mantis guidance is cooler. These recommendations do not establish a precise optimum. Confirm the plan for your culture and measure the enclosure. Avoid direct sun and uncontrolled lamps over a small container.

Provide a normal day-night rhythm and shaded cover. There is no established species-specific UVB requirement in the reviewed guidance. Lighting should let you inspect the animal without overheating it or keeping it exposed throughout the night.

Offer fine droplets for drinking, with airflow and drying between wettings. High humidity advice does not mean permanently soaked bedding. Avoid large drops around tiny nymphs, which can become trapped. Check ventilation and moisture together rather than sealing the enclosure to chase a humidity reading.

Offer cultured prey the mantis can catch safely, using small fruit flies for tiny nymphs and larger manageable flies as it grows. Watch capture success and abdomen condition. Food refusal may signal an approaching moult. Remove loose biting prey and spoiled remains; never leave crickets with a hanging, vulnerable mantis.

Leave the enclosure still during a moult and keep the drop below the animal clear. Wait for the new outer body, called the cuticle, to harden before feeding. For an essential transfer, let the mantis walk onto a twig or other support. Do not pull gripping legs free or handle it to test whether it is calm.

Repeated falls, injury, inability to grip or failed moulting need prompt advice from an invertebrate specialist or suitably experienced vet. Do not pull the animal out of its old skin. Adult wings mark the final growth stage, so an adult cannot be expected to repair an injury through another juvenile moult.

Ask for species identification, captive origin and recent feeding information. Check current requirements before buying from abroad. Females can produce a protective egg case, called an ootheca; ask about mating history and have a contained plan for any offspring. Never release mantises or egg cases outdoors.

Prepare prey and the furnished enclosure before purchase. Check grip, clear moult space, ventilation and droplets during routine care. Remove waste without disturbing a moulting animal. Keep a record of meals and moults, and arrange someone who understands when the mantis must be left alone.