At a glance the quick version
Adults about 7-9 cm without forelegs; females up to 9 cm, males up to 7 cm and slimmer.
German Wikipedia gives about 8-10 months in total; the AES gives 12-18 months for mantids in general.
Looks how to spot one
Exoskeleton with full wings in adults
A large, sturdy praying mantis with strong grasping forelegs. Wings appear only after the final moult, and adults can fly.12
Personality what they are like
A bold, confident hunter. When it feels threatened it rears up, spreads its wings and forelegs and opens its jaws as a display. It can jump about twice its own length.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Sits and waits for prey most of the time; needs vertical space and branches to climb and to hang from when moulting.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
No grooming. Mist daily for drinking water and humidity, avoiding big pools of water, and remove uneaten prey insects.3
Home where they are happiest
A tall enclosure where the branch top is at least four times the mantis's length above the floor, kept warm (about 20-25 C) and humid like a tropical forest.32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Live insects only. Young nymphs eat fruit flies; adults take crickets, grasshoppers and similar prey up to about two-thirds of their own length.32
Company who they like around
Best kept alone. Mantids eat each other, so even siblings must be separated as they grow.31
The story where it all began
Described scientifically in 1838 by Hermann Burmeister and used as the reference (type) species for its whole genus. Its size and striking behaviour have made it a well-known mantis among keepers.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is strong enough to catch large prey such as the Asian giant hornet.1
- 2
A single egg case can produce up to around 150 nymphs after six to eight weeks.1
- 3
You can tell the sexes apart by counting abdominal segments: females have six and males eight.1
- 4
Young mantids can regrow lost legs at their next moults, but not once they are adult.3
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Described by Hermann Burmeister in 1838; it is the type species of the genus Hierodula. The common name is also used for other large Hierodula species.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Giant Asian Mantis. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Humidity checkevery 2 days
- Water dishevery 2 days
- FeedingDepends on species, size and moult stagevaries
- Spot cleanRemove leftover foodevery week
- Moult noteLeave them in peace while moulting and note it in the diaryvaries
- Substrate changeevery 6 months
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Hierodula membranacea - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for range, size, colours, behaviour, reproduction, history, fun facts
- Hierodula membranacea - German Wikipedia de.wikipedia.orgused for range, size by sex, lifespan, diet, terrarium needs
- Praying mantid care sheet - Amateur Entomologists' Society amentsoc.orgused for care, enclosure, diet, social needs, lifespan
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.