Wide Armed Mantis
Cilnia humeralis or commonly called the Wide Armed Mantis is a very large and stocky species from parts of Africa. Coming in a few shades of green and brown, this species have large broad arms giving them their name. A very easy and tolerant species to keep.
Wide armed 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
This species is cannibalistic and should be house separately
Temperature:
They prefer temps around 70-85 F but are very forgiving and can go lower or higher. They can be kept at 64F at night. A heat lamp or heating pad can be used to get the desired temp.
Humidity:
They prefer humidity Around 50%.Misting every 2-3 days can meet these requirements
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 and crawling 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, crickets, mealworms or roaches.. It’s recommended that the size of the feeder insect does not exceed 1/2 the mantis length. Most pet stores sell fruit flies. Larger flies can found easily from online suppliers or sometimes from bait shops.