Taxonomy;
Class: Insecta Order: Mantodea Family: Hymenopodidae Genus: Phyllocrania Species: paradoxa
Origin;
Phyllocrania paradoxa is an African species found on the mainland in many countries, South of the blistering heat of the Sahara desert band, and on the island of Madagascar off the East coast, invoking several variants of the species. Found in scrublands and tropical forested areas, differences are bound to evolve.
Description;
The name describes this mantis if you forget its common name of ghost mantis. Dipping into the scientific name, we can see what Hermann Burmeister was thinking in 1838 when he first described this creature when he saw it. Phyllo, meaning leaf, and crania, meaning head, certainly tell us what we need to know. Paradoxa translates to confusing, strange, or just plain silly, and looking into the eyes of this insect, you can understand every word he was thinking. Either way, it looks like a crumpled old leaf, or at least the brown version does.
This is a sexually dimorphic species of mantis from an early age, making it one of the easiest of all to sex. Rather than counting segments on the underside of the abdomen like you would with most mantis species, you can tell by simply looking at its head.
The crest mounted in the centre of the head is a different shape in males and females, females having a strong, solid block and males having a much thinner, longer and “wiggly” crest. (Photograph to be included)
After a recent study regarding Miomantis paykullii discovered that changes in colour were detected depending on humidity when the mantis next moulted, dry conditions and the mantis moulted to a brown colour to match the grass, and high humidity resulted in green mantis. It is only fair that we presume that these changes in humidity levels work across the board, and the paradoxa is a good example as it can appear in several colours from a light yellow to a deep green, with brown being the colour we’re most used to seeing within the hobby. The vast distribution of this species from tropical forests to dry scrubland could be the reason for these colour changes/ adaptations. I have not conducted the experiment in captivity (yet) to confirm these findings, so this may not be true to form.
This is a medium-sized mantis reaching around 2 inches (4 cm) in length.
Diet;
In the wild paradoxa are ambush hunters, staying still on the tops of bushes or grasses, catching flying prey like mosquitoes and other flies that come too close.
They are one of the few mantises that are hard to convince that other prey is also available, and many people can have problems feeding them.
Feeding (mantis in general);
Praying mantis do not eat on your regime, temperatures affect an insect’s metabolism greatly, which dictates their requirement for nourishment. Viewing their abdomen is the best and only intelligent way to decide if your mantis requires food. Overfeeding a mantis can result in abdominal ruptures and death, so it is always best to gauge your mantis’s hunger level by its girth. A flat-bodied mantis needs feeding. If you can see the membrane between the segments on the underside of the abdomen, then the mantis is full, and you should wait before offering more.
It is normally best to feed some foods, such as locusts and cockroaches, with tongs one at a time rather than allowing them to roam their enclosure. Any food not eaten after several hours will need to be removed. The mantis could wish to moult or be full and become stressed with uneaten food flying/ crawling around.
Please, remember, males do not eat as much as females once they attain adulthood and may go weeks without, and at times refuse food entirely. This is perfectly normal. Females need more food because fertile or not, they still produce an ootheca, which they develop inside their bodies, made from the proteins they consume.
Temperatures and Humidity;
This is a very versatile species when it comes to humidity, but appears to be at its happiest at around 60%. A temperature of 25- 27 °c is adequate, with a drop in temperature at night. They will tolerate a few degrees either way for short periods, but this temperature does seem to keep them at their most active and happy state.
Enclosure;
Googling the enclosure size for any mantis will give you the same result every time. 3 x the length of the mantis = height of the enclosure, 2 x = width of the enclosure. This would be adequate if it were an empty tank, but as I’m sure you will be placing substrates inside, this may affect the moulting ability of your mantis, so I would always suggest 4x the length and not 3x
These sizes work out for every mantis at any age, thus making the answer easy for all. Before your mantis gains adult size, avoid decorating or planting out your enclosure too heavily. i.e., you shouldn’t have anything in the way when moulting is underway.
Mantises also require a mesh lid so they may hook on and hang from the top when they moult. If this is not provided, your mantis will attempt to moult in places that could result in a bad moult, which often results in death or missing limbs, or other external or internal damage.
Breeding;
A very easy mantis to breed due to their nonchalant nature. A well-fed female will quite happily accept a mate once she’s mature enough, which takes around 3-4 weeks after her last moult to adult when she gains her wings.
It is rare that the female will attack a male attempting to mount a female that is ready to mate, but if she does, then give her several more days before trying again, eventually, he will succeed.
Phyllocrania paradoxa male mounting female (YouTube Shorts)
Laying;
After a successful pairing and the female is well-fed, she will lay an ootheca in 10-15 days. Oothecae are generally laid on tall, strong grasses in the wild in a long, toothpaste-like affair along the grass stalk or branch. When laid, it is a creamy white colour that will darken over time. In an average lifetime, a female can lay 6-12 ootheca varying in fecundity depending on the age of the mother.
Phyllocrania paradoxa laying ootheca on a branch (YouTube Shorts)
Ootheca care and hatching;
Ootheca (known as “ooths” within the community) should be kept between 70-80% humidity at a temperature between 25- 30 °C and will take 5-6 weeks to hatch, where 30-40 nymphs will appear.
Taken from Sybilla pretiosa page;
“When the ootheca are laid, they can be removed and placed in 32 oz pots, tacked to a mesh lid (as above) using a small amount of superglue or even BlueTac.
The bottom of the pot can contain 1/2″ (1-2 cm) of cocoa fibre, sphagnum moss, and be dampened regularly, keeping the temperature in the pot at 25- 30 °C will see your ooth hatch within 4-6 weeks of the date laid. Each ooth will hold an average of 25 nymphs that emerge very thirsty, and a very fine spray should be skimmed across the top of the mesh to allow them to drink. Do NOT spray into the pot, so that it may cause large droplets on the inside, as your new nymphs may drown.”
Nymph Care;
Contrary to popular belief (and Google), nymphs do not emerge hungry and hunting; they emerge soft and will avoid confrontation at all costs until they dry out. This will normally take 2-3 days, and only then will they require an external source of food. There is no rush to pot this species up separately, and they may be left in the pot together for several more days if fed and watered.
D. melanogaster (small fruit flies) are the best food of choice at this age, after their first moult, the food size may be increased to D. hydei (standard fruit flies) if available.
I would advise keeping this species separate after 5 days, but not because they will cannibalise each other, but because they’re a fast, clumsy species that can knock off other moulting individuals and kill or damage them.
To “pot up” nymphs, you can use 4-oz (120 ml) source pots and lids with a mesh top. Cutting the centre of the lid out to allow airflow and trapping the mesh between the pot and the lid. Make-up pads are commonly used at the bottom of the pot to soak up excess moisture when sprayed, which in turn provides humidity.
Phyllocrania paradoxa photograph; Richard Adams, Studio 9, Author; Simon Griffiths, The Mantis Garden
YouTube shorts are provided with express permission of TheMantisGarden YouTube Channel
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