Chloroharpax modesta – Nigerian Flower Mantis
General information
| Distribution | Ivory Coast, Guinea, Ghana, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon |
| Habitat | Close to forests, near Flowering areas. |
| Size | 3-4cm |
| Life expectancy | 8-12 months |
| Colors | Mostly green, sometimes some yellow |
| Agressiveness | High |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Group keeping possible | No |
Keeping requirements
-Individual keeping: from 15x15x15cm
-Smaller nymphs are best kept in smaller enclosures in order to make sure they can catch their food more easily.
Terrarium setup
-Substrate: soil, sand, kitchen towel, coco peat, spagnum moss or a mixture.
-Climbing surfaces: Branches, live or plastic plants, mesh sides or a combination.
-Ventilation: Top ventilation, best to provide ventilation from the side as well.
Temperature
Day:20-28C
Night:18-22C
Humidity: 50-70%
Food recommendation
| L1-L2 | Drosophila melanogaster (Small fruitflies) |
| L3-L4 | Drosophila hydei (Big fruitflies) |
| L5+ | Blue and greenbottle flies, small roaches, small crickets, small redrunners |
Sexing:
In general: Praying mantises have segments on their abdomen(=belly). The amount of segments differs for males and females. This is a reliable method to use for sexing nymphs, the bigger they are the easier it is to see the difference.
Specifically for Chloroharpax modesta: Males are more slender than adult females.
Breeding
Adult stage:
Females will be adult in L9, Males in L7
Amount of molts can sometimes differ 1 when they are kept under extreme conditions. Both adult sexes will have wings, but especially the males are capable of flying short distances.
Sexual maturity:
Males are sexually mature from 7-10 days after the final molt. Females are sexually mature 2 weeks after the final molt.
Oothecas & incubation
Oothecas are long and slender, quite similar to oothecas from Creoboter.