Devil’s Flower Mantis, Idolomantis Diabolica

About

The devil's flower mantis, known as Idolomantis Diabolica, are infamous for being one of the most beautiful species available in the pet trade. This mantis grows to around 4 inches long, with large, bulky, patterned arms and unusual camouflage. Devil's flower mantis belong to the family Empusidae, making them technically flower mantids. Idolomantis diabolica displays vibrant purples and greens, with beady, striped crimson eyes & a beautifully patterned thoracic shield.  This species of mantid requires a warm and humid environment, making them a more demanding species to keep.

The devils flower mantis is truly unlike any other mantis species in the pet trade. It boasts the impressive title of being possibly the largest flower mantis in the world, and, with females growing to a hefty 5 inches, you’ll find very few other insects quite as large. Idolomantis diabolica are esteemed for the gorgeous arm markings they present during their threat displays, and their overall vibrant colouration.  A unique feature of this species are the thick moth-like antennae on the males, and the smaller curly antennae of the females.

Feeding

Devil's flower mantis prefer to eat flying prey such as green/blue bottle flies and wax moths. Young devil's flower nymphs should be fed D.hydeii fruit flies, moving on to wax moths and green/blue bottle flies as the mantis grows larger and matures. We recommend offering prey around 1/3rd of the size of the mantis's total body length. Praying mantis should be fed until the abdomen becomes plump.

Environmental Conditions

Idolomantis Diabolica need specific environmental conditions to ensure prime health. These mantids should be kept at a relative humidity of around 70% RH, aided by regular misting and the use of moisture-retaining substrates such as sphagnum moss or coco coir. The Devil's flower mantis needs an especially warm environment of around 30°c, which can be maintained by using attaching a heat mat to one side of the mantis's enclosure. Like all mantids, this species requires an environment at least 3x as tall as its total body length so it has the space to safely molt.

Sexing

Idolomantis Diabolica can be sexed as nymphs by the presence or absence of a small spike protruding from the final abdominal segment. Sexing mature devil's flower mantis is significantly easier however, as females are large with long, thin, antennae, while males have short, moth-like furry antennae.