Orchid Mantis

The Orchid Mantis does not camouflage itself to hide from predators. It camouflages itself to hunt. Pollinators — bees, flies, butterflies — see what looks like a flower and fly towards it. The mantis strikes in under 60 milliseconds.

Recent research has shown something even stranger: the mantis does not merely resemble a flower. It actually attracts more pollinators than the real orchids nearby. It has become a better flower than a flower.

This one was photographed in a Malaysian rainforest. The pink and white colouring matched the surrounding blooms almost exactly. I only noticed it because it moved.