The Peruvian dragon mantis, Stenophylla lobivertex, is a truly unique and incredible species that certainly fits the name "dragon." With its almost dragon-like, horned head, very long tail-like abdomen, and peculiar folded raptorials, it's almost hard for me to see them as insects; they really do just look like tiny dragons!
The females of this species make them even more amazing; most mother dragons will diligently guard their eggs until they hatch, with some – such as the mother of these nymphs –spending most of their adult life perched on top of their ooths!
🐉 Dragon Mantis (Stenophylla lobivertex)
• Adult size: ~1.5-2in.
• Instars: 7-8 ♀️ / 6-7 ♂️
• Sexing: Dragon nymphs can be sexed by abdominal segments by i3. When old enough to reliably distinguish, they also show sexual dimorphism via the shape of their head crest / crown; males have a longer skinny crown, while females' are a bit shorter and develop into a much wider spade-like shape at the base.• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Temperature: 73°+ recommended
• Housing: Despite their long "tail," this species is overall rather small as nymhs. However, be sure to account for their entire abdomen + body length when determining an appropriate enclosure height for molting! Adults are small enough to fit in small Zilla microhabitats or similarly-sized enclosures.
• Feeding: Stenophylla are equipped with unique, wide raptorials that are adept at snatching flying prey out of the air. They struggle to grab and hold small crawling prey, with good-sized Hydei being necessary even at i1. By i3 they should be able to tackle small moths or houseflies. They prefer flying prey and may otherwise be very finicky with feeding; it is possible to go without and handfeed cut roaches at all instars, but it can require much persistence. Read the "Feeding Picky Mantises" section in the Feeding category of the Care Guide for more information.
Due to the low hatch rates I've had and thus high price, you should ideally have some experience with mantises before buying them to avoid costly unnecessary deaths from beginner mistakes. However, I do try to provide as much information as possible in the Care Guide!