How long for a Ghost Mantis to grow to adult?

[Benjamin Whyte]

Hi,

I have 4 Ghost Mantids (Phyllocrania paradoxa) and they are all at L4, about an inch and a half in length. I bought them at that size.

I was wondering how long they will take to get to adult, what to feed them (at the moment I feed them small crickets) but they don't always seem to take to them well, and I also wanted to know how big they will get once adult.

I hope someone can answer these questions.

Thank you.

 

[LazarusMantid]

I have a ghost. She molted into an L3 on July 3rd and I believe she's close to her final molt; anytime now. Her wing buds are very swollen as well as her abdomen. So it will be almost exactly 3 months for her to go from L3 to L7 which is the final instar for ghosts.

This is just my experience. I'm sure someone else has far more insight.

 

[LAME]

Depending upon the temps they're kept in/at and how much prey the are offered or intake. Times can vary  

As far as prey goes, I feed mine houseflies,bluebottle flies, and moths. Take advantage of the weather while you can.

Size is 2.5 to 3 inches I think, not large and easy to keep.

 

[LazarusMantid]

Sorry it's L8. The breeder who gave me my mantis informed me it's L8 not L7.

 

[Benjamin Whyte]

Thank you for your replies, they have both helped me visualise how long they are going to take to grow. I wil do some more research now.