Why Do These Deadly Insects Look Like Flowers? 

This video is perfect for adults orchids.
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Many creatures wear disguises in order to keep safe from predators, but there are some that dress to kill. Orchid mantises are one of nature’s most awesome examples of aggressive mimicry. These killer insects are almost indistinguishable from orchids! Scientists recently learned that their disguise doesn’t work quite how we thought it did.
Special thanks to RU-vidr Fruchtpudding for letting us use their awesome orchid mantis hunting footage! / fruchtpudding
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READ MORE:
O’Hanlon, J. C. (2016). Orchid mantis. Current Biology, 26(4), R145-R146.
O’Hanlon, J. C., Holwell, G. I., & Herberstein, M. E. (2013). Pollinator deception in the orchid mantis. The American Naturalist, 183(1), 126-132.
O’Hanlon, J. C., Herberstein, M. E., & Holwell, G. I. (2014). Habitat selection in a deceptive predator: maximizing resource availability and signal efficacy. Behavioral Ecology, 26(1), 194-199.
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It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.
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