Giant African Mantis Sphodromantis viridis

This is the gateway mantis—the species that's made thousands of people obsessed with keeping praying mantises as pets. Kept worldwide by mantis enthusiasts, it's one of the most popular pet species in the hobby. Why? It's impressively large, visually striking, relatively hardy in captivity, and endlessly fascinating to watch. If you've seen a mantis in a terrarium, it was probably one of these. Its popularity has made it an ambassador species introducing countless people to mantis behavior.