Gongyles gongyloides

Superb mantis from India.  Needs heat and can take high temperatures – over 40c recorded but best between 30 and 35c.  Females can lay up to 10 ootheca and each may contain 10 to 30 nymphs; the females need to mate frequently to ensure continued viability.  Can be kept together but some losses will occur, males especially will be eaten. Spray daily lightly.

Phyllocrania paradoxa

Leaf mantis from southern Africa.  Easy to keep and normal temperatures will be fine.  Can be kept together but losses will occur unless food is abundant.  Spray daily.

Hymenopus coronatus

The famous orchid mantis.  Very hard to keep in South Africa as high humidity is needed; also it only eats flying food so avoid crickets.  Males mature very quickly; females do not, so unless care is taken you will have no males available when the females are ready.  The best way to achieve this is to keep the males much cooler as they grow.

Deroplatys lobata

The Dead Leaf Mantis from Malaysia.  Humidity is important.  The ootheca do not always hatch, even after successful pairings but if they do around 30 to 40 large nymphs might appear.  Do not be in a hurry to pair these and ensure that the female is very fat first.

Danuria thunbergia

The stick mantis, identified by the way it sits with its front legs held forward; there is a noticeable ridge on the upper part of the front legs. Fairly simple to keep but cannibalistic as the nymphs mature.  Danurai might possibly be confused with the smaller hoplochorypha which lays an orange ‘chinese lantern’ style ootheca which produces very small nymphs.

Popa spurca

A heavy duty mantis resembling a twig. Simple to keep but nymphs can be very cannibalistic from young.  Quite large numbers of nymphs hatch from each ootheca as the front breaks ‘peels’ open.

Mantis religiosa

The common green mantis seen all over southern Africa but can be found in different colour forms – yellow, brown, striped wings etc.;  the key is to check between the front legs for a noticeable black mark.  Very easy to keep and breed.  The nymphs are slightly cannibalistic when young, becoming more so as they grow.  Excellent food for chameleons!  Ootheca can contain many dozens of nymphs!