On May 8, residents of a small community in Mengli Town, Jiangcheng County, Puer City, Yunnan Province, found an orchid praying mantis on a gardenia in a flower bed in the community. This praying mantis is white with a small amount of green and brown color, and its head is triangular. Unlike the slender feet of the common praying mantis, this mantis has broad and flat feet, resting on a white gardenia, which appears to be a petal if you don't look closely.
According to reports, the orchid mantis is very rare, mainly inhabiting the tropical rainforest of Malaysia, and has also been found in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province in the mainland in recent years. Orchid mantis has different body color and shape at various ages, and when it first hatches, its body is black and red, like an ant; After molting, it slowly turns into white or pink larvae; In later adulthood, pink gradually turns brown, and white also turns light yellow. The unique shape and color of the orchid mantis not only successfully attract pollinators for predation, but also make them the "face value" of the insect world.
Authors: Yang Wenming, Cheng Hao, Wei Yanzhu, Liu Sirui
Source: People's Daily client Yunnan Channel