The Orchid Mantis mimics orchids to lure prey
 

This is an interesting article. I wonder if there is coevolution between the orchid and the mantis. There must be a reproductive cost to the orchid if the mantis is munching its pollinators!

Found! First Known Predator To Lure Prey By Mimicking Flowers

its probably likely that the specialised pollinators aren't fooled or pollination takes place at night - its the random nectar seekers that pay the price !
Mantis are fascinating. I have always wondered why no horror movie has featured them as they are voracious eaters, normally head first.

Interesting!

For those who want to see more, there are a lot of good images on Flickr and some of the other popular picture sites - there are people who raise orchid mantises in captivity. (I only know this because I needed content for our local newsletter a couple of months ago and put something together on them to fill up a page.)

Steve

I enjoyed the pics & article, but the headline is a bit odd, since the orchid mantis has been 'found' for a long time. There are specialty mantid pet dealers that sell these mail order: Mantids for Sale - Mantis Pets - Home of the Praying Mantis

Yes, the headline was a bit misleading. What is new is the science confirming that the mantis flower mimicry makes it as attractive as real flowers.

Cool!

It's also interesting that the mantis mimics orchids. Maybe other flowers such as composites or legumes don't lend themselves to such mimicry.