Spiny Flower Mantis
vs African Twig Mantis
Both species are rated beginner-level. Your choice comes down to what you want from the animal — appearance, size, lifespan, and personality differ significantly.
| Spiny Flower Mantis | African Twig Mantis | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii | Popa spurca |
| Care level | Beginner | Beginner |
| Adult size (female) | 5 cm | 8 cm |
| Adult size (male) | 4 cm | 7 cm |
| Lifespan | 8–11 months | 8–12 months |
| Temperature | 70–85°F | 72–86°F |
| Humidity | 40–60% | 40–50% |
| Instars (female) | 8 | 8 |
| Instars (male) | 7 | 7 |
| Diet | Flying insects — fruit flies → bottle flies | Will chase prey — flies, roaches (we don't feed crickets) |
| Communal? | No | No |
| Origin | Sub-Saharan Africa | Africa — Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and broadly across the continent |
Care Difficulty
Both species are rated Beginner. Spiny Flower Mantis needs 40–60% humidity while African Twig Mantis needs 40–50%. Temperature ranges overlap but check each species' care guide for specifics.
Size & Lifespan
African Twig Mantis is the larger species. African Twig Mantis lives longer on average. Females of both species live longer than males — this is universal across mantis species.
Appearance
Spiny Flower Mantis: Walking artwork. Two yellow-and-black eyespots on the wings flash open in a deimatic display that startles predators. Beginner-friendly with a showstopping threat pose. African Twig Mantis: If you've never kept a mantis, start here. Bark-textured camouflage, will chase its food, tolerates dry indoor air, and lives a full year. The forgiving exotic. Both are visually striking in completely different ways — check the photos above and the product pages for gallery images.
Best For
Both species are rated beginner-level. Your choice comes down to what you want from the animal — appearance, size, lifespan, and personality differ significantly. Both species are captive-bred at our facility in Las Vegas and ship with a live arrival guarantee.
Spiny Flower Mantis
Walking artwork. Two yellow-and-black eyespots on the wings flash open in a deimatic display that startles predators. Beginner-friendly with a showstopping threat pose.
African Twig Mantis
If you've never kept a mantis, start here. Bark-textured camouflage, will chase its food, tolerates dry indoor air, and lives a full year. The forgiving exotic.