Giant Boxer Mantis, Astyliasula Hoffmanni

The cute boxer mantis is known for its distinctive shielded forearms. It will readily flash these in a defensive display when disturbed. It will also “dance” waving it’s arms around earning its common name. Adults have lush green wings with a brown underside, and vibrant red markings on the upper side of the abdomen, especially in males.

Females grow up to 3 cm long, while males reach about 2.5 cm. After the third moult, males have eight abdominal segments and females have six.

Maintain a temperature of 25-30°C (77-86°F) during the day, but can be cooler at night. Humidity should be kept at 60-70%, with smaller nymphs requiring higher humidity.

This mantis needs a well-ventilated enclosure with plenty of twigs and leaves for perching. As tropical species, boxer mantises thrive in environments with abundant foliage. Although small, they need room to moult, with a recommended cage height of  at least three times the mantis’s length and twice the width. While not as aggressive as other mantis species, it’s advisable to keep only one mantis per container.

Boxer mantises prefer flying insects but are not as picky as some other mantis species. Start nymphs on fruit flies, progressing to small crickets or curly wing flies for larger nymphs, and feeding sub-adults and adults moths, mealworms, wax worms, flies and other flying insects.

Moulting occurs about every two weeks for baby mantises, with the interval increasing as they age, sometimes taking up to three weeks for the final moult into adulthood. Females typically moult seven times, while males moult six times to reach adulthood when they will get their wings.

Though this is the “giant Boxer mantis”, it is not a large species. It is however, large compared to other boxer mantis growing to around 3cm. This is a very cute and sassy mantis and absolutely adorable.