Ghost Mantis

🔤 Taxonomy

Phyllocrania paradoxa is a leaf-mimicking mantis in Hymenopodidae. “Ghost mantis” refers to this species; brown, green and nearly black individuals are colour variants, not separate species. Adult males have a slimmer abdomen and longer antennae than females.

📌 Description

An adult is about 4–5 cm long, with a twisted crest and leaf-shaped leg lobes. Plan for roughly 6–12 months from hatching, rather than a full year after purchase. Its main husbandry need is an unobstructed place to hang through a molt. Stillness is normal ambush behaviour; repeated falls are not.

Parameter	Practical reference
Adult size	4–5 cm
Lifespan (years)	0.5–1
Enclosure (L × W × H)	20 × 20 × 30 cm
Daytime air	22–26 °C
Night	18–22 °C
Humidity	60–80%

🌍 Distribution

The species occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, using shrubs and dry-looking foliage. The country map illustrates documented parts of this broad range, not continuous occupancy. A dead-leaf appearance does not mean the animal can survive without drinking water.

Native range

⚖️ Legal status

Checked on 2026-09-17: no listing was found for this species or its encompassing taxa in the CITES Appendices or the EU wildlife-trade annexes. The Bern Convention is not relevant to its native range. National rules can still restrict keeping, import, transport or sale. Retain identification and origin records, check destination rules before any transfer, and never release animals or eggs.

🤌 Husbandry

Keep one mantis in a ventilated 20 × 20 × 30 cm enclosure. Communal keeping is sometimes successful, but cannibalism remains possible, especially during molts. Small nymphs need smaller escape-proof containers where flies remain easy to find. Observe new arrivals separately for several weeks with dedicated tools; record meals, molts and abdominal condition before any breeding introduction.

💡 Lighting

Provide about 12 hours of diffuse visible light and a dark night. UVB is not an established requirement. Keep the enclosure away from direct sunlight: even a small lamp can overheat a plastic cup. The animal should have shaded foliage as well as an illuminated hunting perch.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Aim for 22–26°C during the day and 18–22°C at night. These are practical maintenance ranges, not experimentally determined survival limits. If extra heat is needed, use a thermostatically controlled source outside one side of the enclosure and measure at the upper perch. Never heat the entire cup without an escape from the warmth.

💧 Humidity and water

Use 60–80% relative humidity as a working range, with cross-ventilation and intervals when leaves dry. Mist a wall or leaves lightly to provide drinking droplets; do not spray the animal or saturate its hanging site. Condensation that persists all day calls for more ventilation. A water bowl is unnecessary for nymphs.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Fit a grippable ceiling and secure fine branches. Leave at least two body lengths of clear space beneath the molting perch, with total enclosure height at least three body lengths. Use paper or 2–3 cm of clean coir below; remove waste and mold promptly. Avoid adhesive surfaces, exposed glue and coarse wire that catches feet.

🪳 Feeding

Offer fruit flies to small nymphs and appropriately sized flies to larger animals. Our Drosophila hydei guide covers culturing a useful starter prey. Feed growing nymphs every 1–2 days and larger mantises approximately every 2–3 days, adjusting to abdomen fullness. Remove uneaten biting prey before a molt. Do not dust insects with reptile supplements or use insects exposed to pesticides.

🥚 Breeding

Breeding requires sexually mature animals, supervised introductions and separate housing afterwards. Females attach elongated egg cases, or oothecae, to twigs. Keep an ootheca in its original orientation with room below for emerging nymphs; at 24–26°C, hatching often takes about 42–56 days but varies. Prepare many small containers and fruit-fly cultures before pairing. Females can lay infertile cases without mating.

🩺 Common problems

A swollen abdomen followed by refusal to eat may precede a molt; stop offering prey and do not pull the mantis from its perch. Failed molts, inability to grip, dark leaking injuries or persistent weakness need assessment by an invertebrate-experienced veterinarian. Check recent sprays, prey origin, heat and ventilation. Do not attempt to peel off old skin or force-feed a collapsed animal.

📌 Conclusion

Choose this species for observation if you can supply live flies and monitor a short-lived animal closely. Solitary housing and clear hanging space matter more than elaborate decoration.