Miomantis paykuhlii – Egyptian pygmy mantis
General information
| Distribution | Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda |
| Habitat | Bushes |
| Size | Females around 4.0 cm Males around 3.5cm |
| Life expectancy | Females up to 1 year Males around 5-8 months |
| Colors | Lightbrown or greenish |
| Agressiveness | High |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Group keeping possible | Not after L3 |
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: 18-22 (Below 18C no problem)
Humidity: 40/70%
Food recommendation
| L1 | Small fruitflies (Drosophila melanogaster) |
| L2-L5 | Big fruitflies (Drosophila hydei) |
| L5+ | Curly wing flies, Bluebottle flies, greenbottle flies, small roaches, small crickets |
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 Miomantis paykuhlii: adult males will have wings that reach over their entire abdomen, females have an abdomen that is bigger than their wings.
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 approximately 10-14 days after their final molt. Males will be sexually mature after around 7 days of their final molt.
Oothecas & incubation
Oothecas are very tiny, around 1-2cm in size. They are lightbrown and can hatch around 15-30 nymphs. It takes around 4 to 6 weeks for the nymphs to hatch. Up to 10 oothecas can be laid with an interval of 7-14 days. The first ootheca can be laid after around 4 weeks of maturity if fed well.