How Much Does a Praying Mantis Cost?

Praying mantises are one of the most affordable exotic pets available, cheap to buy and cheap to keep, with one important caveat about how long you'll have one.

The Mantis: $15 to $150

Common species like Carolina and Chinese mantises run $15 to $35. Ghost mantises run $15 to $75 depending on age and quality. Orchid mantises, prized for their striking appearance, can reach $150. Most species stay well under $75 even as full adults.

Buy an adult or subadult, not a nymph. Nymphs are difficult to keep alive through their many molts, and a beginner is much better served starting with an animal that's already past that fragile early stage. Molting problems are the most common cause of death in captive mantises, and a nymph has most of its molts still ahead of it.

Male or Female

Ask which sex the seller is offering, or check it yourself: a male has eight segments on the underside of the abdomen and a female six. For the same price a female is the better buy for most keepers. She lives longer than a male of the same species, so the setup is used for more months, though she also eats more, which nudges the feeder bill up. A male is the cheaper animal to feed and the shorter commitment.

Upfront Setup: $90 to $195 Before the Mantis

A properly sized enclosure, taller than it is wide, matters more for this species than almost any other invertebrate. Branches or mesh double as both a climbing surface and the anchor point for a safe molt, so one line item covers both. The rows above come to $90 to $195, and the mantis itself adds $15 to $150.

Ongoing Costs: Roughly $10 to $40 a Month

Live feeder insects are the main expense. Fruit fly cultures run $5 to $10 each, and crickets cost roughly 10 to 50 cents apiece depending on size. Occasional supplements round out the monthly total. Feeder insects are perishable and bought as needed, so this cost arrives as a steady, modest monthly line instead of a big one-time purchase.

Vet Costs

Essentially none. Exotic vets rarely treat invertebrates, and mantis care is entirely husbandry-based. Correct humidity, proper feeding, and careful handling around molting time do far more for a mantis's health than any veterinary intervention could.

Lifespan: Short, and Worth Knowing Upfront

This is the detail that matters most for setting expectations. Most commonly kept mantis species live just 6 to 12 months total, Chinese mantises toward 8 to 12 months, African mantises closer to 6 to 9 months, with females typically outliving males. A small number of species can reach around 18 months under excellent care.

What One Mantis Costs Over Its Life

Put the numbers on this page together and a whole mantis lifetime has a price. The full setup runs roughly $80 to $165. Feeders at $10 to $40 a month over a 6 to 12 month life add another $60 to $480. With a common $15 to $35 mantis on top, a mantis kept from purchase to the end of its life costs roughly $155 to $680, most of it feeders. The setup is the part that carries over: the same enclosure, branches and tongs serve the next mantis, so a second one costs only the animal and its food.

That lifespan changes what the purchase is. A female Chilean rose hair tarantula on a similar setup budget can live 15 to 20 years or more, while a mantis is closer to a season. The short life is one of four numbers set side by side in Four Pets, Four Different Right Numbers, alongside the boa constrictor, sugar glider, and neon tetra.

Sources & Further Reading