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No federal permit to keep

Orchid mantis

Hymenopus coronatus

Invertebrates › Flower and ghost mantises (Mantodea) › Hymenopodidae (Flower and ghost mantises)

Hymenopus coronatus is a mantis from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.

Pet trade

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyFlower and ghost mantises

Kept byPet trade

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Air temperature target	82.4 degF Converted from 28°C; target, not the source’s much broader tolerance interval.	378
Relative humidity adult	60–80 % RH Source recommends drier young nymphs; adult humidity must not be imposed on every instar.	378
Adult female body length	6–7 cm Body length, excluding legs.	378
Adult male body length	2.5 cm Sexual size difference requires different enclosure/prey sizing.	378
Enclosure dimensions example	30; 20; 20 Adult female suggested size. Keeper uses ≥3 body lengths height; AES recommends 4 lengths of clear hanging space. Preserve both conventions and actual molt clearance.	378
Diet	Prefer flying insects; crickets should not be the main food. Species keeper recommendation.	378

Care guide

Group care guide

Flower and ghost mantises

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These ambush predators live among vegetation, with Asian orchid mantises using flowering bushes and small trees and African/Madagascan ghost mantises mimicking dead leaves (orchid, ghost_vet). Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Numeric targets are for Phyllocrania only. The orchid reference gives an ideal 82.4°F and adult humidity of 60–80%, with nymphs kept drier (orchid). Do not assume those settings cover Pseudocreobotra, Creobroter or Theopropus; establish a species-specific plan. Orchid males and females differ greatly in size and development (orchid). Level is an editorial assessment of the family's variation.

Housing & setup

Use an enclosure at least three body lengths high and two body lengths wide (orchid, ghost_vet).
For an adult female orchid mantis, a 30 cm high × 20 × 20 cm enclosure allows perches; a 20 × 20 × 30 cm enclosure suits an adult ghost (orchid, ghost_vet).
Provide a grippable ceiling and unobstructed hanging space for molting (ghost_vet).
Provide twigs and leaf cover, strong ventilation and light misting without saturation (ghost_vet).

Sources 457 458 459

Climate & lighting

Warm side / daytime	71.6–82.4°F
Humidity	50–60%

UVB: Ghost mantises need a normal day/night cycle and no special lighting; keep the enclosure out of direct sun (ghost_vet).

Sources 457 458 459

Diet

Live Drosophila fruit flies for small nymphs (ghost_keeper)
Live houseflies for larger nymphs (ghost_keeper, orchid)
Live bluebottle flies for larger mantises (ghost_keeper, orchid)

Sources 457 458 459

Social life

Individual housing is safest. Ghosts can sometimes coexist with abundant space and food; orchid mantises older than L3 should be separated because cannibalism is common (ghost_vet, orchid).

Sources 457 458 459

Handling

Let the mantis walk onto a hand; never grip it, and keep it low to prevent fall injury (ghost_vet).
Never disturb a molting mantis; remove feeders during molts (ghost_vet).

Sources 457 458 459

Health watch

Failed molts (ghost_vet)
Dehydration (ghost_vet)
Feeder bites or fall injury with haemolymph loss (ghost_vet)

Sources 457 458 459

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is known by various common names, including walking flower mantis, orchid-blossom mantis and (pink) orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantises, a reference to their unique physical form and behaviour, which often involves moving with a "swaying" motion, as if being "blown" in the breeze.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Hymenopus coronatus” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Hymenopus coronatus is a mantis from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is known by various common names, including walking flower mantis, orchid-blossom mantis and (pink) orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantises, a reference to their unique physical form and behaviour, which often involves moving with a "swaying" motion, as if being "blown" in the breeze. The species has evolved to mimic orchid flowers as a hunting and camouflaging strategy, "hiding" themselves in plain view and preying upon pollinating insects that visit the blooms. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Hymenopus coronatus is found in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. It may also extend into the far eastern regions of India and Bangladesh. This accords with the most northerly historic record from Sivasagar, in Northeast India (stated as "Sibságar, Assam") by Wood-Mason, 1878. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Wild diet	The orchid mantis is a carnivorous insectivore, mainly catching other insects. In the laboratory setting, it prefers lepidopteran prey. Its diet in nature is much the same as orchid mantises kept in captivity, and consists of small insects like crickets, flies, fruit flies, beetles, and smaller stinging insects such as bees or miniature wasps. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Behavior	Hugh Cott referenced an early-20th-century account by Nelson Annandale of Hymenopus coronatus, in which he details how the mantis hunts on the flowers of the "Straits rhododendron" (Melastoma polyanthum). The nymph has what Cott calls "special alluring coloration", where the animal itself acts as a "decoy". — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	The orchid mantis is favoured by insect breeders, but is extremely rare, so it is also extremely expensive. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Appearance and size	This species mimics parts of the orchid flower. The four walking legs resemble flower petals, and the toothed front pair is used as in other mantises for grasping prey. H. coronatus shows some of the most pronounced size sexual dimorphism of any species of mantis; males can be less than half the size of females. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
History and naming	File:Hymenopus bicornis in active pupa stage by James Wood-Mason 1889.jpg\|thumb\|Drawing of nymph of "Hymenopus bicornis in active pupa[l] stage" by James Wood-Mason, who sent it to Alfred Russel Wallace, who in turn lent it to Edward Bagnall Poulton for his 1890 book The Colours of Animals Alfred Russel Wallace in his 1889 book Darwinism, calls the mantis rare: The drawing was published in Edward Bagnall Poulton's book The Colours of Animals. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 87°F (up to 94°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 64°F (down to 50°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	70–81°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	73–83% on average (driest month about 74%)
Rainfall	about 2127 mm a year

Measured at 63 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

File:Hymenopus bicornis in active pupa stage by James Wood-Mason 1889.jpg|thumb|Drawing of nymph of "Hymenopus bicornis in active pupa[l] stage" by James Wood-Mason, who sent it to Alfred Russel Wallace, who in turn lent it to Edward Bagnall Poulton for his 1890 book The Colours of Animals Alfred Russel Wallace in his 1889 book Darwinism, calls the mantis rare: The drawing was published in Edward Bagnall Poulton's book The Colours of Animals.

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

USDA plant pest permits. Moving live non-native insects, snails and other potential plant pests between states generally requires a USDA APHIS PPQ 526 permit.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
172 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

Keeping Insects: Orchid Mantis, Hymenopus coronatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Royal Veterinary Center: Ghost Mantis Care Sheet Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
PanTerra Pets: Ghost Mantis Caresheet Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.