Flower mantis

Common card · No. 389076

Flower mantises are mantises that use a form of camouflage referred to as aggressive mimicry, which they use both to attract prey and to avoid predators. These insects have specific colorations and behaviors that mimic flowers in their surrounding habitats. This strategy has been observed in other mantises including the stick mantis and dead-leaf mantis. The observed behavior of these mantises includes positioning themselves on a plant and either inserting themselves within the irradiance or on the foliage of the plants until a prey insect comes within range. Many species of flower mantises are popular as pets. The flower mantises are a diurnal group with a single ancestor (a clade), but the majority of the known species belong to the family Hymenopodidae.

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