The Orchid Mantis

The Orchid Mantis are solitary which means they live and work by themselves. There are several species of orchid mantis. They are a living insect because they move, breath, eat and reproduce.

 Habitat
They live in bushes and small trees, that grow white and pink flowers. Normally white, the orchid mantis can turn itself pink and purple in a matter of days to match the orchids found in its natural habitat, Malaysia and Indonesia.

 Features
Orchid mantises mimic parts of an orchid. Their legs resemble flower petals, with the toothed front pair used for grasping prey. Orchid mantis mimic orchids, so when insects come to pollinate or feed on the orchids they don’t see the mantis because of its clever disguise, when the insect lands on the flower they become the mantises next meal. Female orchid mantises are vibrant pinks and purples, and sometimes white. Females live for around eight months. Male orchid mantises are less than half the size of a female orchid mantis, and are a dull greenish brown color. Males only live around five to six months. Males mature faster than females because of their shorter lifespan.

 Diet
They eat small insects including crickets, flies, fruit flies, beetles and stinging insects like bees. They also eat larger creatures such as lizards, birds, turtles and mice.

 Interesting Facts
 The orchid mantis was discovered in 1879 when an Australian journalist took a trip to Indonesia and returned with stories of bug eating flowers. What he actually saw was an orchid mantis. Some orchid mantises are so confident in their ability to mimic orchids, they just hang out on leaves and let the prey come to them…. and it actually works!

 The orchid mantis is a true master of disguise.