Shall We Dance?

What am I looking at?

This is a Deroplatys lobata mantis in a defensive posture. You can see its clawlike, grasping forelegs (1); its wings spread out to either side (2); and its mid- and hindlegs legs spread out wide (3). Click on the right arrow to see additional views of this mantis.

Biology in the background

This mantis is commonly called the Southeast Asian dead leaf mantis, or just dead leaf mantis, because when viewed from above with its wings folded, its gray coloring and pattern of veins make it look like a dead leaf. Its ability to avoid detection by camouflaging itself as a leaf, a bit of moss or lichen, a piece of bark, or a twig is called crypsis, or mimicry. Praying mantises are champions of this strategy.

They are also so-called ambush predators and take advantage of their dead-leaf appearance to hide from potential prey as well as from predators. They use their clawlike front legs to grasp other small insects, reptiles, and amphibians. When threatened, they extend their wings, spread their legs, and face the threat, displaying the colorful underside of their wings and front legs and make themselves look bigger and possibly poisonous due to their bright, contrasting coloration. This survival strategy is called startle display. It aims to confuse a predator for a split second, which gives the mantis a chance to make a dash and disappear into the foliage or among the leaf litter.

The females are much bigger and heavier than the males of this species. The females can grow up to 70 millimeters long, or roughly the size of a human pinky finger. The males grow to only about 45 millimeters long, or roughly twice the size of a human thumbnail.

Technique

This image was created using macrophotography.