Praying mantises are increasingly popular as exotic pets, valued for their hunting behaviour and alien appearance, but require specific conditions to thrive in captivity.
Praying mantis welfare in captivity centres on appropriate live prey, thermal environment, and moult management. Mantises that cannot hunt live prey experience both nutritional deficiency and behavioural deprivation - their entire cognitive existence is oriented toward predatory behaviour. Inadequate humidity during moults causes failed moults that can permanently injure or kill individuals. The solitary nature of mantises makes companionship impossible and means each individual must receive adequate space for natural stalking and movement. Growing interest in mantis cognition research has produced evidence for learning and individual variation that strengthens the welfare case for quality care.