Thistle Mantis
Blepharopsis mendica or the thistle mantis ranges from North Africa and the canary Islands. They are a creamy white with light green stripes. As adults they will have a green and white speckled appearance to their wings. These mantids are small to medium in size reaching around 2-2.5 inches as adults with females being larger than males.
Thistle Mantis Care
Housing:
Mantids 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
These mantids can not climb up plastic or glass so will require plenty of branches or even wire mesh along one side to climb.
This species is not very cannibalistic But will still take the opportunity to eat each other if hungry enough. It is best to house separately after L4
Temperature:
They are a heat loving species and prefer temperatures from 86-100F but can go lower or higher. However anything lower than 75 can be dangerous. A heat lamp or heating pad can be used to get the desired temp.
Humidity:
They prefer Dry climates and do fine with 30-40% humidity. Mist once a week to allow them to drink .
Water:
Mantids 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
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. Crickets are not recommended as it can cause health issues. 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.