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Odontomantis planiceps
It's very tiny species who mimic like big ant , its front legs fully red with rest of full black body .
Scrub , Hibiscus rosa sinensis plant
It's very active and very shy , most of time rest and wait for preys(ants )
Ya sir ant mantis truly amazing for its mimicking for size and coloration as well as same feature like big ants , I dont know same species kill one another but may be cannibalism its also happen in this species like other mantises too .
I think it's a form of Batesian mimicry. But still, I find it pretty funny considering the ant mantis is imitating the appearance of a black ant (down to the mandibles), and it preys on black ants.
It makes me wonder if sometimes ant mantises can mistaken other ant mantises for black ants and accidentally try to eat them. Can that happen?
Spotted on Nov 26, 2021
Submitted on Nov 26, 2021
