African twig mantis (Popa spurca) Family- Mantidae.

Oothecae takes 2- 3 month to hatch if kept at 22- 25°C (73- 77°F), 30- 40% humidity. About 100 nymphs will hatch from a single ootheca. They take about 4- 6 month to mature. When disturbed, fall on the ground and pretend it is dead.

Females: get 7.5 - 8 cm long. If fed properly, they will lay 6- 7 oothecae in a life time.

Males: get 6.5 - 7 cm long.

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

Ootheca.

L3 nymph.

Adult female.

Female cleaning her abdomen, after i have finished removing the ootheca from it. This specie often gets "egg bound" if not kept in moist enaph area. If that does happen, just simply moisten her abdomen for 10- 15 min, and carefully pull the ootheca off.