Devil's Flower Mantis

Devil's Flower Mantis
This is the spectacular devil’s flower mantis, which is found in the east of Africa. The mantis can mimic flowers and dead leaves.
The idea of impersonating a flower is based on the fact that insects like flowers. Flies, butterflies, moths and beetles are all attracted to bright, pretty flowers.

The mantis will find a suitable plant with flowers on it, and then climb onto a flower. The insect will then grasp the stem with its hind legs and stay perfectly still. Flies and other bugs will come to the flower, attracted by the flower and also by a black spot on the mantis that resembles a fly. When a large enough bug lands near or on it, the mantis strikes and the hapless fly is swiftly grabbed by the devil’s mantis’s leg. And then in typical mantis style the prey is decapitated by the mantis’s mandibles and eaten.

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jvOj65t_I

Info:
http://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/species/devils-flower-mantis/

Photo via imgur

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