With winged legs, orchid mantis sets gliding record

Camouflaged like a flower, these predators also have a getaway trick

28 NOV 2023•11:30 AM ET•BY ERIK STOKSTAD



CHIEN LEE/MINDEN PICTURES

The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) looks so much like a flower that you might be tempted to take a sniff. Now there’s another reason it’s exceptional. Researchers will report tomorrow in Current Biology that the insect’s petal-shaped legs allow it to glide 50% to 200% farther than other invertebrates.

The orchid mantis (pictured) looks deceptively like the bloom of a moth orchid. In addition to having a pink and white body with just the right patterns, it will sway gently to mimic the effect of wind on the petals. When a prey insect buzzes by to look for nectar, the mantis rapidly strikes. For more than a century, this species and a few relatives have been iconic examples of animal mimicry.

After noticing that orchid mantises would jump vigorously away when startled, researchers wondered whether their petal-shaped legs might serve not just as camouflage, but also as wings. In profile, the legs are curved like a wing, and in experiments dropping nearly a dozen mantises from a crane, the researchers documented the insects flipping themselves right side up and then gliding for up to 8 meters.

The escape strategy is most useful for younger mantises; as they mature, they grow wings for powered flights.

doi: 10.1126/science.zriz511