Idolomantis Diabolica Caresheet (Giant Devil's Flower Mantis)

[utterbeastage]

The Giant Devil's Flower Mantis, Idolomantis Diabolica (not to be confused with the Devil's Flower Mantis, Blepharopsis Mendica) is a highly sought after species of praying mantis native to Tanzania, well known for being a large and stunning species.

Temperature and Humidity

Being from a hot climate this species is best kept at 25-35c , my reccomendation would be to use a 60W Day-Glo bulb with a ceramic fixture, although a desk lamp can be used for nymphs if you keep them in cups at an early stage.
Humidity isn't needed with this species as they prefer it bone dry, a lot of people say you should never spray them at all but before moulting a light misting of the enclosure is reccomended to bump up humidity and make it easier for the mantis to shed its complex skin structure, I have also experienced then drinking straight after a moult, after not eating for a few days.
Temperatures can be dropped slightly at night but in my experience they do fine as long as the room they are kept in is relatively warm, and heating resumes during the day.

Food and Feeding

This species is strictly flying foods only, and should never be fed anything else.

flightless fruit flies, curlywings , greenbottles , bluebottles, waxmoths etc. are perfect for feeding to this species and they are relatively easy to get a hold of, plenty of online livefood suppliers sell cheap cultures that can last weeks , for bluebottles , buy a tub of maggots , leave them in a well ventilated tub and within 4/5 days you'll have hundreds of them. Waxmoths can be cultured from a tub of waxworms , but take a lot longer to pupate than bluebottles , so best plan ahead if you're thinking of using these.

from L1-L3 they will take fruit flies easily and after L4 they can take on small moths , bluebottles and greenbottles, L5 onwards they'll take on anything bluebottles to large moths.

Housing and Enclosure

From L1-L3 this species can be kept in a small polystyrene cup with tights over the top secured with an elastic band, after moulting to L4 they should be moved into an all-mesh enclosure, Remember - as the mantis grows make sure the netting supplied has large enough spacing between the netting to allow it to hang properly as the number one cause of Idolos dying is slipping during moulting , as the hooks on their feet cannot fit through the spacing.
As for decoration , a few silk plants and a couple of secure twigs on one side of the enclosure are preferred, the mantis will spend most of its time hanging from the mesh but will sometimes climb along twigs and branches.

I think this species is relatively easy to care for as long as you ace the temperature, feeding, and enclosure , it isn't reccomended as a beginners species but I decided to give these a go after a couple of months raising mantids and currently have a female with one moult to go

If you're looking for a challenge it's well worth your money raising this species as they look spectacular from nymph to adult

[RawrItsOllie]

I thought they were tolerant to high humidity and changed to a greener colour in accordance with it?
What colour are yours, since your keeping them dry.

[RawrItsOllie]

By the looks of I take it brown lol. I'm pretty sure the changing colours to humidity thing is true

[Ozgi]

Cracking care sheet Jordan It's about time some more detailed ones were available, rather than the bog standard "Keep in a jar, spray now and again, feed flies" lol.

Ollie, Idolo's are brown all the way through to adulthood. Are you thinking of Ghosts (P. paradoxa)?

[RawrItsOllie]

No I'm not. Ive seen green Idolos. Do you mean they turn green at adulthoood?

[utterbeastage]

Originally Posted by RawrItsOllie

No I'm not. Ive seen green Idolos. Do you mean they turn green at adulthoood?

They're black with small bits of white at L1 , from L2 to L3 they have a violet tinge to their head, and the lobes on their back are light green , this onlt stays for a moult or two , after that they're brown all the way up to adulthood until they get their adult colours, from what I've heard it takes around three days for them to colour completely

Heres my L8:

[utterbeastage]

Originally Posted by Ozgi

Cracking care sheet Jordan It's about time some more detailed ones were available, rather than the bog standard "Keep in a jar, spray now and again, feed flies" lol.

Ollie, Idolo's are brown all the way through to adulthood. Are you thinking of Ghosts (P. paradoxa)?

I reckon they're made out to be a lot more difficult to care for than they really are, although I'll look like a bit of an idiot if mine doesn't hurry up and eat soon

[Ozgi]

Originally Posted by utterbeastage

I reckon they're made out to be a lot more difficult to care for than they really are, although I'll look like a bit of an idiot if mine doesn't hurry up and eat soon

Lol. I suppose when compared to easier species they are hard to care for, but in the grand scheme of things no mantis species is that hard to keep and raise. It's the breeding that can be problematic with some of them.

I'll just add if I may that the best mesh to use when bigger is dress netting, or tutu fabric. The holes are perfectly sized for them to grip on to

[utterbeastage]

Originally Posted by Ozgi

Lol. I suppose when compared to easier species they are hard to care for, but in the grand scheme of things no mantis species is that hard to keep and raise. It's the breeding that can be problematic with some of them.

I'll just add if I may that the best mesh to use when bigger is dress netting, or tutu fabric. The holes are perfectly sized for them to grip on to

Ill have to get a hold of some of that for my L4 , it's still in a poly cup

[Ozgi]

Originally Posted by utterbeastage

Ill have to get a hold of some of that for my L4 , it's still in a poly cup

I'm currently in the process of making a net cage, I'll post pics up when it's done! It's been pretty easy so far