Creobroter gemmatus – Indian/Jeweled Flower Mantis
General information
| Distribution | Vietnam |
| Habitat | Bushes, lower vegetation |
| Size | Female ~4.5cm Male ~3.5cm |
| Life expectancy | Female up to 1.5 year Male up to 1 year |
| Colors | Yellow/brown, adults have green wings. |
| Agressiveness | Very |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Group keeping possible | L1/L2 and adult males. |
Keeping requirements
-Individual keeping: from 15x15x20cm
-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: 20-25C
Night: 18-20C, below 18C no problem.
Humidity: 50/70%
Food recommendation
| L1/L2 | Small fruitflies (Drosophila melanogaster) |
| L3 | Big fruitflies (Drosophila hydei) |
| L4/L6 | Green and bluebottle flies, maggots |
| L7+ | Blue bottle flies, small roaches, maggots |
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 C. gemmatus: Using the segment counting remains the most reliable way for this species. Females often have a wider abdomen, visible from L4/L5 upwards. Adult females will be wider, a bit longer and have a thicker abdomen.
Breeding
Adult stage:
Females will be adult in L8, 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:
Females will be sexually mature after 2-3 weeks, males after 1-2 weeks. The mating can last several hours.
Oothecas & incubation
Oothecas are usually around 4cm. They are elongated and pretty flat. They have a brown colour. Females can start laying oothecas when they are 4-5 weeks old, with an interval of 7-14 days. They can lay up to 8 oothecas.
Incubation time for the oothecas is around 4-8 weeks, depending on temperature. Usually around 40 nymphs hatch.