The jeweled flower mantis is one of the most gorgeous flower mantises in the world. It’s small, beautiful, and one of the most popular insect pets. Join us in the world of the jeweled mantis, discover its interesting facts, and understand why it’s so popular like that.
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Hymenopodidae
Genus: Creobroter
They’re one of the gorgeous mantises
The jeweled flower mantis is a small species of the Asian flower praying mantis. It’s known for its striking appearance. At first glance, with their wings closed, these mantises may appear dull and lacking in color. However, when threatened, they reveal a stunning array of bright and beautiful colors.
Males typically measure about 3.5 cm in length, while females are a bit larger at around 4.5 cm. They sport a pale white body adorned with light brown stripes. Their upper wings display a green hue with hints of brown, featuring two eye-catching yellow spots bordered in black on each wing. To me, this pattern looks like an emoji face with two eyes.
Their inner wings boast vibrant colors, with a deep pink or magenta shade and a rich blue or cobalt blue tone. At the tips of these inner wings, you’ll find a silver hue that appears almost transparent. Their eyes are pyramid-shaped and light blue in color.
Their front legs are large and serrated, equipped with sharp hooks at the top. These adaptations aid them in capturing and securing prey, much like other mantis species.
At first look, you may find this species looks like Indian flower mantis or other Asian flower mantises like Creobroter pictipennis. It’s hard to distinguish among them, but there’s still a way if you have a closer look.
The jeweled mantis differs from the Indian mantis Creobroter apicalis in coloration. While the Asian jeweled flower mantis exhibits a lighter, pale white color, the Indian mantis has a darker green hue, including its body and legs. Its upper wings feature a vibrant green shade with two eye-catching orange spots outlined in black. The inner wings display a striking combination of deep pink and brown, with light green tips.
With this stunning appearance, the jeweled mantises, as well as other Creobroter species, are among the most popular exotic pets in the world. Moreover, they require low maintenance and can adapt well to captivity.
Natural Habitat
The jeweled flower mantis typically lives in humid tropical, sub-tropical, and evergreen forests across South, East, and Southeast Asia. It prefers flowering, densely branched shrubs as its habitat. These insects usually wait on these shrubs to catch insects seeking nectar. Sometimes, they can be spotted near human settlements too.
Jeweled Flower Mantis Diet
When young, this species primarily eats small insects such as the common fruit flies, ants, common green bottle flies, or beetles. As adults, they mainly feed on blowflies. These species also include mites, grasshoppers, aphids, and even their own fellow in their diet. When hunting, the mantis camouflages itself in leaves or flowers.
Similar to many other mantis species, the female of this species exhibits cannibalistic behavior. She often consumes her male partner shortly after mating. While cannibalism is not unheard of among flower mantises, it occurs more frequently in Creobroter germmatus compared to other species.
Reproduction
In mantis species, males and females show differences in the number of visible abdominal segments. Males have 8 sternites, while females have only 6. Also, subadult males stand out with their thicker and longer antennae.
During the mating season, the insect will engage in a courtship dance. The male takes the lead, gently touching the female’s antennae and wings. If she’s interested, she’ll reciprocate, signaling readiness to mate.
After mating, the jeweled flower mantis lays an ootheca, a protective case for its eggs. This reproduction behavior is common among other mantis species such as the spiny flower mantis or devil flower mantis.
The ootheca, or egg case, comes in various shapes and sizes and is typically affixed to surfaces thanks to a protein-based secretion, creating a sponge-like structure. Its structure ensures each egg is securely positioned in its compartment. This reminds me of how bee eggs are nestled in each honeycomb cell. Once hatched, the young insects begin searching for food. If prey is unavailable, they may resort to cannibalism.
Female jeweled flower mantises reach adulthood after approximately 8 molts, while males mature after 7 molts. It takes females about 2 more weeks to be ready for mating, whereas males are ready in just 1 week. The lifespan of this jeweled flower mantis is about a year.
Reference: insektenliebe.com
