Phyllocrania paradoxa, common name ghost mantis, is a small species of mantis from Africa remarkable for its leaf-like body. It is one of the three species in the genus Phyllocrania. It is known for its distinct and exclusive camouflaged appearance of a dry weathered leaf.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Compared to many other praying mantises, the ghost mantis is a "miniature species"[3] growing to only about 45to long.[2]
It comes in various brownish shades from very dark brown (almost black) to greenish gray. An individual's colors change between molts and are also dependent on light and humidity levels.[2] [3]
Phyllocrania paradoxa is camouflaged so as to appear as dead, dried-up leaf material.[5] It has an elongated head, a flattened, extended prothorax and leaf-like protrusions from its limbs.[5] The mantis also has a forewing that looks like a desiccated leaf,[1] and the "creases" in the wings are actually shadings of pigment.[4] In the wild, the ghost praying mantis effectively blends in against dead leaves. Predators such as birds tend to overlook insects that resemble their background, and by staying still the ghost praying mantis can go unnoticed.[6]
If threatened, big nymphs and adult females adopt thanatosis, i.e. they play dead, whereas adult males run or fly away.[7]
P. paradoxa oothecae can hatch out up to three dozen young.[8] 1st and 2nd instar nymphs of this species are dark colored and use ant mimicry as a defense.[7]
As with most or all species of mantis, Phyllocrania paradoxa is sexually dimorphic, with females being larger than males. Females have six abdominal segments. Males are shorter, narrower, and have eight-segmented abdomens.[3] At the 5th instar and above males are thinner than females and have smaller appendages (lateral of the abdomen). At the 6th instar and above their crowns are different. When adult, males have longer and thicker antennae than females and transparent wings, which are longer than the abdomen. They are good flyers and are significantly thinner than the females. At the 5th instar and above females are more compact than males and have bigger appendages. At the 6th instar and above the crown of females are as wide as their head and more line and smoother than the male`s crown. When adult, females are significantly more compact than males, with shorter antennae and wings that do not cover the abdomen.
Phyllocrania paradoxa have a wide range across the African continent and its islands and can be found in Angola, Cameroon, Cape Province, Congo Basin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Transvaal, Uganda and Zimbabwe.[9] [10] It is also found in South Europe.
Ghost mantis inhabit dry areas, bushes, shrubbes, trees in the open.[11]
