Pink Orchid Mantis Fact Sheet

Common Name: Pink Orchid Mantis, Walking Flower Mantis

Scientific Name: Hymenopus coronatus

Wild Status: Least Concern

Habitat: Rainforest

Country: Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia

Shelter: Branches, leaves

Life Span: Under a year

Size: 6cm

Details

Beautiful and mysterious, the Pink Orchid Mantis has captivated humans for centuries. Native to South Eastern Asian countries such as Thailand, it dwells in rain forests on plants. Like all mantises, this species is carnivorous and adept at catching prey. Rather than chasing down or fighting, it waits for the perfect chance to ambush any small insect that is drawn to its fake pink petals. Mantises inspire humans in areas such as martial arts, poetry, painting, and story telling. Due to this fact, much of what is known about these insects is based on myth or story telling, and there remains much to be learned of them.

Cool Facts

• Like most mantis species, the female is much larger than the male • Female mantises have a reputation for eating males after mating. While this does happen, it is most likely when the female has not eaten and needs nutrients. A recently fed mantis will typically not eat another • Pink Orchid Mantises look and behave like flowers. They latch on to branches and sway back and forth, imitating the currents of the wind. Insects drawn to the fake petals are swiftly caught and eaten • The color of the "leaves" can change from pink to brown in order to mimic its surroundings • It is believed by some researchers that this camouflage and mimicry does not serve to help catch prey, but to protect from predators • It is also thought that the shape and motion of the mantis is less important than the color. Insects tend to look for vegetation matching favorable colors, regardless of shape

Taxonomic Breakdown

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Mantodea Family: Hymenopodidae Genus: Hymenopus Species: H. coronatus

Conservation & Helping

This species is not believed to be of concern, however it is difficult to know for certain the fate of insects, especially those that specialize in camouflage.

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