# Largest mantis species???



## mbj20

Does anyone know the largest mantis species you can buy I heard it was the Chinese mantis but I'm sure I was told there some a hell of alot bigger that 4 inches any ideas? 
Thanks
Mark : victory:


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## Rilo|UK

I heard it was the African mantid.


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## jetski

i dont know the biggest but the peacock mantis is a fair contender. bigger than the chinese for sure



heres one of my girls sorting out a fully grown locust


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## gray1

There is a bigger one than those mentioned so far, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. It's not very well known.


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## antcherry88

Wondering violin mantis is the longest I know of


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## Ben.M

_Solygia sulcatifrons_ but there may be a bigger one that I can't remember.


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## Lucci

Idolomantis Diabolica is quite large from what I can remember


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## KWIBEZEE

There are a number of mantids that fall intyo this category but emphasis should be placed upon size in terms of length, bulk, general size. What do I mean by this? For instance Plistospilota guineensis mantis is cetrainly long so in terms of length it is large. Then there is Hierodula membranacea which is more bulkier than the aforesaid. A serious contender would be Rhombodera basalis. Pnigomantis medioconstricta are also large but not as big as the others mentioned. The classic green mantids of the Sphodromantis species are middle-weight contenders so to speak averaging around 90 - 100 mm. You will sometimes experience a giant of any particular species - just as in the human populace some individuals exceed the normal growth expectations of the norm.


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## gray1

I might of been thinking of toxodera beieri, it also happens to be the most beautiful mantis I've ever seen too. Toxodera beieri. The pictures aren't even of an adult 

Here's another toxodera, at about 2 mins 10 se they get a measuring tape and it measures around 10 inches, that 25cm!! Amazing Insects Vol.7, No.3 : Preying Mantis 03 / Toxodera spec. - YouTube

EDIT: it's not 10 inches it's just me being silly, no change there :lol2:


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## Ben W

I think you want to look at that tape measure again then revise your statement!!!!

Thats CENTIMETRES not INCHES:whistling2:


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## fardilis

gray1 said:


> I might of been thinking of toxodera beieri, it also happens to be the most beautiful mantis I've ever seen too. Toxodera beieri. The pictures aren't even of an adult
> 
> Here's another toxodera, at about 2 mins 10 se they get a measuring tape and it measures around 10 inches, that 25cm!! Amazing Insects Vol.7, No.3 : Preying Mantis 03 / Toxodera spec. - YouTube


You mean 4inches, that's 10 cm!!Giants at 7-8"

At a show last year they had some giants at 7-8"


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## gray1

Ben W said:


> I think you want to look at that tape measure again then revise your statement!!!!
> 
> Thats CENTIMETRES not INCHES:whistling2:


Actually looking at it again, I'm a little confused as it looks neither inches nor cms. If you see the persons hand there's no way it's only 10 cms, but there's no way it's 25cm either. It looks more like 15cm ish. :S

EDIT: Actually watching again a few times the mantis is quite bent and they don't start measuring right from the top, so it probably is about 15cm


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## KWIBEZEE

Thanks gray for the Toxodera link - seen these on the UK Mantis Forum link - a dude in Malasia some place had found one of these rare species. Didn't realise they were as large as that actually. The 'crenulations' are amazing. Common name is the lichen mantis is it not?


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## Alan L

My daughter currently has 5 species of mantis.

Madagascan Marbled - Adult - about 4" long
BudWing
Indian Flower
Ghost
Congo Green - still a baby, but can get quite big

She did also have an Orchid and Texas Unicorn.

The UK Mantis Forum website is good for info.


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## exopet

If you think Toxodera is impressive, try googling Paratoxodera cornicollis, the longest mantis I am aware of, over 8 inches easy also called the malaysian odd feather mantis

http://media.photobucket.com/image/paratoxodera cornicollis/mantis-inc/kareeda41.jpg


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## Metamorphosis

*How about this, mine is bigger that yours*

Paratoxodera cornicollis is about the longest mantis I have heard of, but this is (The photo will give you an idea as to size)the largest mantis in bulk that we have kept and would easily eat Plistospilota, a female of this species is over twice the size of Hierodula membranacea (Giant Asian) This is also the only mantis that had me in a lot of pain and made me bleed from a single bite! It's a new species into culture and is a Rhombodera sp. ( I know it hasn't got a great sheild, but not all Rhombodera have this, before one of you points that out ) from Thailand. And we will have some available shortly from our next generation.
IMG]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/Graham_smith/RhomboderaspThaiGiant08-12-201112-48-30.jpg[/IMG]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/Graham_smith/RhomboderaspThaiGiant08-12-201112-48-30.jpg

Regards to All

Graham & Janice


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