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Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis)

Tenodera sinensis

The Tenodera sinensis, or Chinese Mantis. It is the 'classic' mantis par excellence, the most widespread species in the collective imagination and in the neophyte trade. It is a rustic colossus: females easily exceed 4.3 inches, characterized by a long, green or brown body, with an acid green line along the edge of the front wings. Extremely robust, it will forgive almost any stabling error (temperature, humidity, diet) typical of beginners. Unlike fragile floral mantises, the Chinese has a frightening omnivorous appetite: it will devour anything that moves, from crickets to roaches, up to (in nature) lizards and hummingbirds. Excellent pet, interactive and long-lived.

Taxonomy
Class:Insecta
Order:Mantodea
Family:Mantidae
Subfamily:Tenoderinae
Genus:Tenodera
Species:Tenodera sinensis

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Environment

Terrestrial

Humidity

50 - 60 %

Day temperature

22 - 28 °C

Night temperature

18 - 20 °C

UVB

None

Species description

Geographic Origin and Habitat: This recovery makes no geographic-origin or habitat statement beyond the cited facts.
Taxonomy and Genetics: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy lists Tenodera sinensis Saussure, 1871 as an accepted species in the genus Tenodera, family Mantidae and order Mantodea. This recovery makes no genetic statement beyond the cited taxonomic facts.
Behaviour and Habits: This recovery makes no behavioural statement beyond the cited facts.
Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism: This recovery makes no morphological or sex-comparison statement beyond the cited facts.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Terrarium Setup: This recovery makes no terrarium-setup statement beyond the cited facts below.
Lighting and Heating: This recovery makes no lighting or heating statement beyond the cited facts below.
Humidity and Hydration: This recovery makes no humidity or hydration statement beyond the cited facts below.
Feeding and Supplementation: NC State Extension identifies the Chinese praying mantid as Tenodera sinensis. It reports that Chinese mantids usually wait for the approach of prey and feed on animals they can subdue, including butterflies, cockroaches, crickets, flies, grasshoppers, moths, and spiders. The same source reports that Chinese mantids have been photographed feeding on hummingbirds.
Compatibility and Coexistence: This recovery makes no compatibility or coexistence recommendation beyond the cited facts below.
Health and Common Diseases: This recovery makes no health or disease statement beyond the cited facts below.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

This species originates from: Asia Orientale (Campi, praterie, boschi misti in Cina, Giappone, introdotta e naturalizzata in Nord America).

Origin

Cosmopolitan or introducedNorth AmericaEast Asia

Terrestrial invertebrate profile

Diet
No verified data available
Life expectancy
No verified data available
Adult size
11 cm
The catalog's scalar value is 11 cm. The NC State Extension — Chinese Mantid source reports a maximum adult measurement of 11 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). The taxonomic record consulted is Tenodera sinensis. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Lifestyle/Microhabitat
No verified data available
Activity cycle
No verified data available
Sociality
No verified data available
Reproduction
No verified data available
Venom level
No verified data available
Handling tolerance
No verified data available
Brumation
No verified data available
Molting
No verified data available

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

Related species

Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.

Variants and close relatives

Same atlas type, nearby scientific identity, genus, or family.

African Lined Mantis (Sphodromantis lineola)

African Lined Mantis (Sphodromantis lineola)

Sphodromantis lineola

Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula membranacea)

Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula membranacea)

Hierodula membranacea

Giant Australian Mantis (Hierodula majuscula)

Giant Australian Mantis (Hierodula majuscula)

Hierodula majuscula

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Last updated: 08/10/2026
Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) Care Guide & Terrarium Setup | Atlarium