How difficult is it to keep Japanese Giant Mantis?

Beginner. This is a beginner-friendly species. No special equipment or experience is required, and it can be kept successfully with basic care setup.

What is the ideal temperature for Japanese Giant Mantis?

The ideal temperature for Japanese Giant Mantis is 20〜25℃. Avoid sudden temperature changes and maintain a stable environment.

How large does Japanese Giant Mantis get?

Japanese Giant Mantis typically reaches Males 70-90mm, females 80-95mm as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.

What is the typical price for Japanese Giant Mantis?

The price of Japanese Giant Mantis varies significantly depending on bloodline, size, captive-bred generation, and sex. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Japanese Giant Mantis

Q: What should I feed Japanese Giant Mantis?

Japanese Giant Mantis feeds on: Live insects (crickets, grasshoppers, butterflies; fruit flies and aphids for nymphs). Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

Beginner

Tenodera aridifolia

The largest mantis on mainland Japan, in green and brown forms, with a yellow spot at the base of the forelegs and purplish-brown hind wings. Oothecae laid in autumn hatch all at once in spring, releasing around 200 nymphs. Oothecae and nymphs are traded seasonally and it is a classic subject for nature study.

Difficulty

Beginner

Temperature

20〜25℃

Lifespan

One generation a year; adults appear around August-October and captive females live to late December

Size

Males 70-90mm, females 80-95mm

Humidity

60〜80%

Diet

Live insects (crickets, grasshoppers, butterflies; fruit flies and aphids for nymphs)

About

The Japanese giant mantis (Tenodera aridifolia) ranges over Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu south to Tanegashima and Yakushima and is the largest mantis on mainland Japan. Some authorities regard it as conspecific with the continental Tenodera sinensis, and the 2020 Catalogue of Japanese Insects follows that treatment. Green and brown forms occur; males measure 70-90mm and females 80-95mm, growing larger southward. It is told from the similar narrow-winged mantis by the yellow spot at the base of the forelegs and the purplish-brown hind wings. Common in sunny grassland and riverbeds, it ambushes prey by day, taking insects and even small vertebrates such as frogs. Adults are active from August to October; in autumn the female attaches several oothecae of about 200 eggs to grass stems or twigs, and the eggs overwinter. Hatching falls around March in Kyushu and April in Kanto, and because the mass-hatched nymphs eat each other, keepers reduce them to a few and house them separately. Keep at 20-25C, mist for drinking water and feed live prey about every other day. Oothecae and nymphs are traded in spring, and the species is a classic subject for nature study.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)