The Orchid Mantis: A pretty but deadly 'aggressive flower mimic'

This is one time where a rose is a rose is a thorn.

 

It’s not unheard-of for creatures to employ a variety of camouflage tactics in order to protect themselves from predators or to hunt their prey more effectively. However, a particular species of praying mantis takes the art of mimicry a step further: it actually pretends to be an orchid to lure butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to their deaths (and to its belly).

 

 

The aptly-named orchid mantis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid_mantis) (Hymenopus coronatus) resembles an orchid in full bloom, from its light coloring to its petal-shaped legs. The predatory insect is also known as the walking flower mantis, and is one of several species of flower mantis: praying mantises that resemble flowers, usually from the Hymenopodidae family.

 

Blooming findings

 

The theory of the orchid mantis’s nature as an “aggressive mimic”—a predator or parasite that imitates a typically harmless or attractive organism to avoid being detected by its prey or host—had been put forward by scientists as early as the 1800s. The genesis of the idea is attributed to naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, another proponent of evolution through natural selection (albeit one who worked separately from Darwin).

 

However, since the orchid mantis is a rare sight even in its own rainforest habitat in Southeast Asia, it was quite challenging for scientists to determine the true reasons behind the mantis’s unique appearance.

 

As a result, group of researchers from Sydney and Auckland journeyed to Malaysia in order to conduct a more in-depth study of the strange insect. In order to find the elusive creature, the team of researchers sought the expertise of the Orang Asli tribe, native Malaysians who live in – and possess an extensive knowledge of – the forest.

 

“They likely have an enormous wealth of knowledge about the natural history of the plants and animals of Malaysian rain forests that we scientists have yet to fully appreciate,” according to lead researcher Dr James O’Hanlon.

 

Upon acquiring a number of orchid mantises, the researchers set to work. First, they analyzed the color of the orchid mantis using a spectrophotometer, an instrument that could measure wavelengths of light beyond the range of human vision. The results showed that, to an insect’s eyes, the orchid mantis is practically indistinguishable from 13 species of wild Malaysian flowers.

 

Orchid imitation: More than just flowery flattery

 

Afterwards, the researchers observed the behavior of the wild pollinators in the area, and found that the flying insects were indeed attracted to the orchid mantis’s flowery appearance. Whenever the pollinators got close enough to the mantis, the predator immediately snatched them out of the air to consume them. This confirms scientist’s suspicions of the orchid mantis’s aggressive mimicry, making the insect the first known predator to mimic flowers with the specific purpose of luring prey.

 

"This is the only animal in the world that we know of that resembles a flower blossom to attract prey," said O'Hanlon, a biologist from the Macquarie University in Sydney. "There are other animals that are known to camouflage amongst flowers and ambush prey items, but they do not actually attract the pollinators themselves — the flowers they sit on are the attractive stimulus. The orchid mantis is unique in that the mantis itself is the attractive stimulus. This means the mantis can sit away from flowers, perhaps on leaves or bark, and still lure in pollinators."

 

Better than the real thing?

 

Surprisingly, the researchers’ findings also revealed that the orchid mantis attracted more insects than actual orchids, being 30% more effective at luring pollinators by the hour.

 

“We measured the hourly rate at which the pollinators flew up to the mantis and compared that to real flowers,” explained O’Hanlon. “I thought they’d be comparable, but the orchid mantis went way over.”

 

However, the researchers believe that there are more questions to be answered. “This was the first-ever study of the orchid mantis, so we’re really only seeing the tip of the iceberg here,” O’Hanlon said.

 

Future research efforts could explore the possibility of the orchid mantis’s camouflage abilities serving as a defense mechanism against bigger predators as well.

 

The team of researchers, which includes Marie Herberstein from the Macquarie University and Gregory Holwell from the University of Auckland, will see their work published in the science journal The American Naturalist in January. Their research is currently available on DataDryad.org. — TJD, GMA News