In the wild-
Yunnan Flower Mantises originate from the tropical regions of Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. It is one of many species known as a 'flower mantis' due to both its appearance of a flower, and the way in which they move. As adults, they develop stunning wings, enabling them to fly. Bright green in colour with large spots to simulate eyes, it gives the mantis a plant like look, enhancing their hiding capability. Their body is usually cream in colour with a number of caramel brown blotches giving them the ultimate camouflage, although some individuals are also green. Females are typically larger than males, with the species reaching up to 4/5cm in length, slightly bigger than others in the Creobroter family. They are an amazing carnivorous predator due to their ability to ambush flying prey. They catch prey using toothed arms (located at the front of the body) they devour it with their very strong bite. Most mantis species are known to be cannibalistic, so never keep more than one in the same tank. They are short-lived like many insect species with an average lifespan of just 8 months.
In captivity-
Housing and decor-
Mantis require height rather than width and depth, however that is no reason to go small with the habitat. A general rule for mantis enclosure size is three times the length on the mantis tall by two times the length of the mantis in width and depth. This means that an adult female will need a cage of at least 15cm in height and 10cm in width and depth. In my opinion, this is not enough and we instead use Exo Terra Large Tall Faunariums, which provide plenty of space when taking decor into account. Decor doesn't need to be fancy; plants, sphagnum moss and twigs to climb on are all this species really needs. The plants you use can be real or fake. Substrate is optional, but it will help with humidity levels to have a layer of damp soil. This also makes the tank look better than if you used a paper towel or had a bare base. Open bodies of water are a hazard as if your mantis should fall into the container, it will drown easily. They drink from water droplets on plants, so a water bowl is not necessary anyway. You can see our small mantis essentials shopping list here.
Remember to house mantids separately due to their cannibalistic nature!
Heat, light and humidity-
As mantises are not a reptile, they do not require UBV lighting. If you wish to have lighting for your mantis, you could use a daylight bulb or LEDs. If you use live plants in the terrarium, I would add a light source to help keep them healthy. Temperature should be kept at around 24 degrees Celsius (approximately room temperature) during the day, dropping about 10 degrees over night. Heat is best maintained using a thermostat controlled heat mat placed on the side or underneath the habitat if required. Humidity is important to the Yunnan Flower Mantis, and levels of around 60 to 80% are optimum. This is especially important when they are in shed. Younger specimens should be kept at a lower humidity and gradually built up as they are sensitive to the high levels the adults need. As mentioned earlier, mantids drink from water droplets on the decor, so make sure that you spray the terrarium often enough to keep your pet hydrated.
Feeding-
Feeding is relatively simple for most mantises. The main diet for a small, young specimen is flightless fruit flies, although as they get larger they can start to take on bigger prey items. Adult flower mantids prefer flying food items, such as black soldier flies and curly wing flies, although they will also take appropriately sized locusts. Houseflies can also be fed is you find yourself with a few around the house! Avoid feeding crickets as bacteria found in their gut can prove fatal to delicate flower mantis species. I like to make sure that their is food available most of the time for younger individuals, however prey items shouldn't be left in the terrarium for too long as they may start trying to eat your mantis. Older mantids can be fed every other day.
Buying Yunnan Flower Mantids-
The Yunnan Flower Mantis is still relatively new to the trade at the time of writing (2021), so they can be more difficult to find than other, more popular species. They can cost between £10 to £20 dependant on where you buy from. I always look for small specimens when buying mantises as they are usually the youngest and therefore you will get to care for them for longer. I would buy in person where ever you can so you can see exactly what you are purchasing, or where the size is clearly stated.
Thank you for reading my Yunnan Flower Mantis care sheet and I hope you found it helpful and informative. Good luck with your new invert! Feel free to contact me via Instagram to ask any questions!