Ghost Mantis

Phyllocrania paradoxa — the ghost mantis — is one of the most spectacular leaf-mimicking insects in the world and a flagship species of family Hymenopodidae (the flower mantises). Adults are small (4.5-5 cm) but extraordinarily detailed: the head is extended forward into a leaf-tip-shaped crest, the prothorax bears a crumpled-leaf 'ruff,' and the legs carry small leaf-paddle extensions at every joint. The abdomen is laterally extended into a leaf-like blade. The cumulative effect is that the mantis disappears completely among dried foliage on the forest floor or on twigs. Color polyphenism is remarkable: individuals develop in green, brown, gray, ivory, and black phases depending on humidity, temperature, and the prevailing color of the surrounding habitat at moulting — the species is one of the most-cited examples of plasticity-driven insect crypsis. Ghost mantises are native to the dry savanna and woodland of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar; they are common in the exotic pet trade because they are easier to keep than the closely related but very fragile devil's flower mantis. Despite the dramatic appearance, the species is small and harmless to humans.