Stenophylla lobivertex (Lombardo) –
Peruvian Dragon Mantis

Introduction

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Stenophylla need no introduction. The enigmatic south American dragon mantis genus is a relic of ancient specialization and is extremely alien, even by mantis standards. Bearing oversized raptors, walking only on four legs, and a long tail like abdomen, it is no surprise how this crested beauty got its name. This mantis has been long sought after by novices and veterans alike, as their elegance and otherworldliness has mystified keepers. Stenophylla is still not very well known to science, and two of three species have only been discovered in the past 20 years.

 

Dragon mantises are part of a unique family (the Stenophyllidae) which contains only 3 species, all found in the Amazon rainforest. They mimic dead leaves, shaking their long abdomens like gnarled leaves, and often tucking it against their heads when startled or threatened. On the rare chance their cryptic strategy fails, Stenophylla will open their raptorials and sway back and forth, exposing the inside of their raptorials which have bright orange spots and black coloration. Because of their immaculate mimicry, they are incredibly difficult to find and observe in the wild and are one of the rainforest’s mystery species. Watching and waiting out of sight.

 

Just like a dragon, this species will also sit on their eggs until they hatch, guarding their offspring to ensure no parasites or predators will hurt them. Females will sit with their legs wrapped around their eggs in the wild, checking on them every so often. Truly unique for being a solitary predator, not many mantis species are such good parents!

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Sexing

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As with all mantises, males have 8 external sternites, and females have 6. Females can be distinguished at 4th instar by being slightly larger and having a differently shaped crest.

 

Keeping

 

Stenophylla is not incredibly aggressive but can cannibalize, so caution should be used. Both males and females have 6 instars. They prefer to have sufficient space to wander, as they do move somewhat often. Keep in mind their long abdomens as well, as they need some more height than you’d expect for a molting mantis.

 

Recommended space is as follows:

 

Instar 1 – 2  16 oz Deli Cup

Instar 3 – Adult: 32 oz Deli Cup

 

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

 

Feeding

 

Instar 1 - 3  – Drosophila  fruit fly species

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

 

Breeding

 

Stenophylla are difficult to mate. Males are very fragile and only live about a month once adult, so timing is everything. Females take 4-6 weeks to mature on average. Introduce the female to the male’s container and keep her well-fed. Males are extremely skittish, and 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 8 hours.

 

After mating the female will lay anywhere from 4 - 6 oothecae over her lifetime around every 3 - 5 weeks. Females prefer to lay on thin twigs and stems. After a period of 4 – 5 weeks incubation, around 15 - 30 nymphs will hatch per oothecae. At this size they will be able to eat  Drosophila melanogaster.