How difficult is it to keep Wandering Violin Mantis?

Advanced. This is an advanced-level species. It requires specialized equipment and advanced husbandry skills with precise environmental control.

What is the lifespan of Wandering Violin Mantis?

The average lifespan of Wandering Violin Mantis is Adults 3-5 months. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.

How large does Wandering Violin Mantis get?

Wandering Violin Mantis typically reaches Females about 10cm, males about 9cm (up to 11cm) as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.

What should I feed Wandering Violin Mantis?

Wandering Violin Mantis feeds on: Flying insects only such as flies and moths (fruit flies for nymphs). Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

What is the typical price for Wandering Violin Mantis?

The price of Wandering Violin 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

Wandering Violin Mantis

Advanced

Gongylus gongylodes

A long, slender large species from India and Sri Lanka named for its violin-like outline with dead-leaf lobes. Gentle enough to keep in groups, but it needs heat around 35C, dry air and a diet of flies, making it demanding.

Difficulty

Advanced

Lifespan

Adults 3-5 months

Size

Females about 10cm, males about 9cm (up to 11cm)

Humidity

60〜80%

Diet

Flying insects only such as flies and moths (fruit flies for nymphs)

About

The wandering violin mantis (Gongylus gongylodes) is a large empusid centred on southern India and Sri Lanka, reaching up to 11cm, with adult females about 10cm and males about 9cm. The extremely thin body and legs carry dead-leaf lobes, and with the abdomen as body and the narrow thorax as neck the outline suggests a violin. It is known for swaying back and forth like a twig in the wind, and adults raise the forelegs to show black and pink spots when threatened. It feeds exclusively on flying insects, snatching flies and moths from the air; ground prey such as crickets is said to harm it and should not be offered. Aggression is low, so with ample food it can live in groups for life and breeding is straightforward, yet it is sensitive to temperature, food quality and humidity and hard to rear to adulthood. Heat with a bulb to 30-40C by day (35C ideal) and let it fall to about 20C at night. Keep humidity low, misting every three days in mesh cages or weekly in glass. Adult males have large feathery antennae and can fly. An ootheca holds 30-40 eggs and hatches in four to seven weeks.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)