Orchid Mantis Mimics Flowers to Gobble Up Insects
If you’re an insect, and you love to hang out near orchids, you’d better be careful. Some orchids are not what they seem.
According to Fox News, researchers in Malaysia have confirmed that the orchid mantis mimics 13 species of actual orchids in its native habitat. Bad news for bees and butterflies, insects known to pollinate orchids. Just when unsuspecting pollinators think they’re about to get a sweet sip of nectar, that lovely orchid morphs into a carnivorous monster. Indeed, researchers saw over a dozen instances of an orchid mantis snatching an insect out of the air.
Now we need a filmmaker to imagine a world in which giant orchid mantises prey upon meddling human researchers. James Cameron, are you busy?
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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