The orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, is one of the most popular and sought-after species in the hobby. This beautiful white flower-mimicing mantis is native to the rainforests of southest Asia and is even more admired due to many pictures of nymphs with vivid pink coloration. In captivity they are mostly white, and will generally always be white as adults, but nymphs often develop phases of pink before molts.
Orchids display drastic sexual dimorphism in size and appearance at older instars and adulthood, and are also one of the species with a very unique i1 appearance! Baby orchids hatch with a bright red body and a black head and limbs – almost mimicking an assassin bug – before transforming into the delicate tiny white flowers when they molt to i2.
🌺 Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)
Adult Size: 2-3in ♀️ / 1-1.5in ♂️
Instars: 9 ♀️ / 7 ♂️
Lifespan:
⠀♀️ 1-2 years
⠀♂️ ~6-12 months
Sexing & Dimorphism: Orchid nymphs can be sexed by abdominal segments starting at i3. Older nymphs and adults display significant sexual dimorphism in size and appearance. Females begin developing a "horn" at later instars, have more instars and grow drastically larger, and have wider leg lobes / "petals." At i5-i6, males will already be presub-subadult, so their sex will be obvious by their large wingbuds but tiny size and lack of horn. Note that there is a stereotype that all females have a green "necklace" starting around i4-i5 while males have brown, but this can be inaccurate and should not be used as a sexing method.Difficulty: beginner-intermediate
Temperature: 73°-85°F
Housing: Orchid mantises are often said to be a difficult species due to "needing high humidity but high ventilation." In reality, hydration is more important than ambient humidity (read more in the General Care Guide) and I have not had issues with keeping them in clean, non-humid setups like any of my other mantises. If attempting to keep them in a constantly humid environment, you will need adequate ventilation and to keep the substrate clean, potentially with springtails as a cleanup crew. However, you will likely have less issues not chasing high humidity, especially if it is not a bioactive setup.
Feeding: Orchid mantises can sometimes be finicky eaters and may prefer flying prey, but I have been quite successful feeding my pair roaches.