Macromantis (Brunner von Wattenwyl) – South American Giant Mantis

Introduction

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Macromantis are giants amongst the mantis world. Their large size exceeds that of even most Hierodula and Rhombodera. Yet, despite their large size, they don’t only rely on their strength to capture prey. If Choeradodis are masters of the leaf top, Macromantis are the masters of under-leaf ambush. Macromantis use their raptorials held apart and against their bodies to make a leaf shape, becoming almost invisible when viewed from below. If they are spotted and disturbed, they will stretch their abdomens out, revealing a rainbow of color.

As their name suggests Macromantis is the largest south American species, both in terms of length and weight. This fact is part of what makes them slightly difficult to keep. They need a solid grip on their molting surface, as well as a few branches to help support them, as their final few molts become so heavy that there is risk of them falling during the process. However, proper enclosure set up can circumvent these issues.

These mantises are intricately leaf-like, even down to their abdominal shape. Their bright colors and relaxed personality make them one of the most desirable species. They are incredibly relaxed when handling but will not hesitate to grapple with prey. Their immense size is astounding and is something truly awesome to see.

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Sexing

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As with all mantises, males have 8 external sternites, and females have 6. Females tend to have wider and stouter abdomens.

 

Keeping

 

Macromantises should be house solitarily, as they can tackle quite large prey, including siblings!

 

Recommended space is as follows:

 

Instar 1 – 2  8 oz Deli Cup

Instar 4 – 6: 32 oz Deli Cup

Instar 7 – Adult: 12 x 12 Net cube

 

Using the metric above, an appropriate amount of space should be provided for communal setups to minimalize cannibalism.

 

Feeding

 

Instar 1 - 3  – Drosophila species

Instar 4 – Adult – Houseflies, Blue bottle flies, Small Crickets, Roaches

 

Breeding

 

Macromantis are somewhat easy to mate. Females take 4 - 6 weeks to mature on average, and males take 3 - 4. Introduce the female to the males container (ensure it’s a large enough space) and keep her well fed. Males are not skittish, but like to take their time approaching. Thus it is recommended to disturb him as little as possible when introducing the female. Once the male mounts, he will copulate with her for up to 6 – 12 hours.

 

After mating the female will lay anywhere from 4 - 6 oothecae over her lifetime around every 4 - 6 weeks. After a period of 6 – 8 weeks incubation, around 70 – 120 nymphs will hatch per oothecae. At this size they will be able to eat  Drosophila hydei.