👻 Boo! Meet the ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa). This species’ leaf-like appearance helps it disappear among foliage, concealing it from predators and prey. When tasty critters—like grasshoppers and moths—wander too close, it uses its powerful forelimbs to snatch them up! This insect has a wide range across Africa and can be spotted in Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.
Photo: Wynand Uys, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist
Mantises may be some of the most out-of-this-world-looking critters on Earth, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share incredible adaptations to similar habitats. These dazzling displays of convergence may have something to tell us about evolution.
In the latest episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware as she visits mantis expert and graduate student Lohit Garikipati at the Towson University Mantis Lab to see how researchers are using high-speed infrared cameras to track the movements of mantis prey capture. The similarities (and differences) in hunting techniques can help reveal how environments shape the animals that live in them.
At 11 am ET, tune in as Entomologist Lou Sorkin discusses bugs, the Museum’s Identification Day, and introduces viewers to some tiny pink mantises.
