Double Shield Mantis Care Sheet
Pnigomantis medioconstricta · Beginner-Intermediate care · Flores Island, Indonesia
Setup
| Daytime | 72–86°F |
|---|---|
| Night | 68°F floor; below 72 nymphs slow, below 68 can stall |
| Full range | 68–86°F |
| Humidity | 50–60% |
| Misting | Light wall mist daily or every other day; don't over-mist |
| Adult size | ♀ 9 cm · ♂ 8 cm |
| Stage | Enclosure |
|---|---|
| L1–L2 | 16-oz deli cup, mesh lid |
| L3–L6 | 32-oz deli cup or medium enclosure, 10×8.5×15 cm |
| L7–adult | 25–30 cm tall minimum (8×8×12 in or bigger); 12×12×18 in for a bulky adult female |
Height at least 2.5× body length plus one body length for the wide pronotum (aim for 3.5–4×), 2× clear drop below the perch, walls not close to it.
Heat: optional unless nights fall below 68°F: a low-wattage heat emitter above the mesh or mat on a side wall, on a thermostat; never underneath, no heat lamps on plastic, no UV. Substrate: 1–2 inches of slightly moistened coco fiber; it tolerates moderate dryness. Ventilation: mesh top plus a screen panel. Decor: cork bark and sturdy twigs; adults break flimsy decor.
Feeding
| Stage | Feeder | How many | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1–L2 | Melanogaster fruit flies | 4–6 | every 1–2 days, keep a few present |
| L3–L4 | Hydei fruit flies, small houseflies, dubia pinheads | 4–6 | every 2 days |
| L5–L6 | Houseflies, green bottles, small dubia; blue bottles from L6 | 2–3 | every 2–3 days |
| L7+ / adult | Bottle flies, medium to large dubia | 1–2 | every 3–4 days; gravid female 2–3 |
Prey no more than a third of body length; err smaller. No wild-caught insects, no crickets. Aggressive eaters at every stage; adult females take prey larger than most mantises would.
Handling and molting
Handling is fine from day one; the only time to leave a mantis alone is around a molt. Gently, hand under rather than grabbing. A startled adult female is the one most likely to pinch (no venom, no danger); keep fingers away from her face.
Premolt fast: 2–7 days for nymphs, 1–2+ weeks before the final molt. Humidity at the top of the range; never spray the mantis; remove every feeder.
- Refusing prey 24 h+ and staying still
- Hanging upside-down
- Slight body darkening
After any molt, hands off until hardened (moving normally, gripping firmly, color back up): about 24 h for a nymph, 48+ for an adult. No food until then; first meal slightly smaller.
Lifespan
| Nymph stage | Adult stage | Total from hatch | Adult at | Ootheca hatches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5–7 mo | 6–9 mo | 12–18 mo | ♀ L9 · ♂ L8 | 6–10 wk |
About 14–18 months from hatch for a female, 12–14 for a male; the longest adult stage we keep. Females molt 8 times, males 7. The thick exoskeleton molts more cleanly with a little more humidity. Nymphs ship unsexed; the stage you receive varies with each hatch.
Do not
- House two together, ever. Nymph-on-nymph cannibalism is severe.
- Overfeed. Obese mantises die during molts.
- Feed pinky mice. A live rodent bites back; insects are all it needs.
- Pair without backup males. Losing 1–3 per successful pairing is normal.