Asian Brown Praying Mantis – Hierodula membranacea
Asian Brown Praying Mantis – Hierodula membranacea: The color of the Giant Asian Mantis is usually green, but there are also yellow, beige and brown varieties. The beige individuals can even seem a bit pinkish. The difference in colour is mainly due to the environment in which the animal is kept. They can develop a different colour in a matter of days, but it is not yet understood which conditions will trigger a change in colour.
Asian Brown Praying Mantis – Hierodula membranacea is one of the largest mantis species that is successfully kept in captivity. Adult females are about 3,5 inches long (8 – 9 cm), while males are a bit smaller with their 3 inches (7 – 8 cm). The males are also much thinner and lighter than the females. The wings of a male extend to just past the abdomen. The adult females are bigger and bulkier than the males, with wings that extend just to the abdomen.
I found this little guy crawling over my hand when I got into my hired car one evening in March 2023 on the island of Koh Samui.
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