BUG OF THE DAY#2

The Asian Ant Mantis! (aka Odontomantis Planiceps)

 This specie of mantis is known by mimicing ants from their 1st and 3rd instar (basically how many times they have molted since hatching, the 1th instar is the period between their first molt and hatching) which they are fully black ant mimics, after their first instar (the time can depend on the individual) they molt to be mostly green. Oh- and they mimic the ant behavior too at the time they loo like them!

These are tiny bugs even when in adult form! Which the adult males grew up to be about 1.4cm(0.5 inch), and the females are about 2cm(0.7 inch).

An exaple of a subadult Ant Mantis, I couldn't really find which instar of the mantis has this been photographed in.

(image from: usmantis.com)

An adult female, 

(image from: https://www.mantisonline.info/)

 I personally think they are really, REALLY awesome, but I almost always feel the same thing about mantids, so my personal criticism isn't the most valid here. 

 Anyways, they are awesome. The most-ever awesome part of them to me is that they can even extend their raptorial legs-which is folded on their front in most species of mantids- upwards to mimic the antennas of the ants! They move in a jittery-erratic way the ants do when in the subadult state.

  The main reason of their mimicry is mainly because of the predator's usual avodiance of ants due to their aggresive nature, mantis does use this also as a part of preying on unsuspecting preys.