Skip to main content
Mantisfly (Mantispa styriaca)
Mimicry
85Six Legs
Bug Bite · From the file on Mantisfly

Mantisflies are LACEWINGS that independently evolved raptorial forelegs and mantis-like body plans — convergent evolution with no relation to true praying mantises.

AgencySmithsonian InstitutionVerified by sources
Read the full file on Mantisfly

More Mimicry bites

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)
Mimicry
Six Legs76

The wing tips of an atlas moth are shaped like a cobra's head — a mimicry believed to deter bird predators.

Atlas MothVerified by sources
Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Mimicry
Six Legs74

Wildlife agencies across Europe get thousands of 'hummingbird sightings' each year — almost all are this moth.

Hummingbird HawkmothVerified by sources
Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)
Mimicry
Six Legs79

The orchid mantis's legs have flat petal-shaped extensions that complete the flower illusion.

Orchid MantisVerified by sources
Chinese Giant Stick Insect (Phryganistria chinensis)
Mimicry
Six Legs74

Stick insects don't just look like twigs — many species sway gently when at rest, mimicking a stick in the wind.

Walking Leaf (Phyllium philippinicum)
Mimicry
Six Legs77

Walking leaves don't just look like leaves — they have realistic vein patterns, simulated bite marks, and even spots that mimic fungal damage.

Walking LeafVerified by sources
Malaysian Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys dessicata)
Mimicry
Six Legs73

Dead leaf mantises mimic dry brown leaves — curled edges, simulated insect damage, leaf-vein patterns, the works.