Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghost mantises are naturally distributed across several African regions:
- West Africa – including countries like Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Ghana
- Central Africa – Cameroon, Congo, and surrounding basin forests
- East Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia
- Southern Africa – Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa
These areas share key conditions: warm weather, seasonal dryness, and vegetation that produces abundant fallen leaves—perfect for a leaf-shaped insect.
Madagascar
Madagascar’s unique combination of dry forests, thorny bushlands, and tropical microclimates provides ideal environmental niches for ghost mantises.
Isolated island conditions have even encouraged slight natural variations in behavior, diet, and appearance—though they remain the same species.
