Gongylus gongylodes Violins Mantis ooth nymphs

Violin mantis --One of the most famous praying mantis species available in hobby

They are suggested for beginners as they are a totally communal type of mantis. The Wandering Violin Mantis got its name because the adults look a bit like a violin. Their body resembles the soundboard of a violin; the head is the top of the violin, and the long and thin midsection of the mantis is the neck of the violin.
Gongylus gongylodes comes in different color variants, ranging from light brown to dark brown. Its body has all kinds of appendages that resemble dried leaves, which serve as camouflage for the mantis. Young nymphs have less pronounced camouflage than older nymphs and adults. Females reach a body length of 10 centimeters, and males reach a length of around 9 cm (3 inches).
When the nymphs are born, they resemble their parents in body shape. Their color is light brown

 They should be kept at 28- 40°C (82-104°F) at day time, not below 23°C (73°F) at night time. They need very little humidity, but if one prefers 40- 50% if fine too. They should be misted with water every 3- 4 days to drink the droplets off their spines. The G. gongylodes are specialists at catching flying insects. Nymphs should be misted every 2 days. Nymphs will accept food one day after hatching. Nymphs can already be sexed at L2 by looking at their abdomen or at L3 by looking at their antennae. Females always have shorter and thinner antennae.

A small halogen spotlight provides very good illumination during the day, keeping the temperature at approximately 40°C (104°F).

Each ootheca contains 15- 35 eggs. Oothecas need to be lightly misted every day with warmed water, but this moisture must evaporate completely 1-2 hours later. Keep the air as dry as possible for the rest of the day.

Females live 8-12 months after maturity. It takes 6 molts for the female to become an adult. They become sexually mature 2 weeks after their last molt. The female should be fed a lot before a male is introduced to mate; otherwise, the female may be too active, so if that is the case, the male will not mate with her. They will start laying oothecas approximately 19 days after mating. Each female will lay about 8 oothecas in her life.

Males: live 3-6 month after maturity. It takes 5 molts for the male to become an adult.

Diet: Drosophila, houseflies, crickets, flour worms. To the newly hatched larvae must be promptly offered Drosophila flies.