Bug FAQOrchid Mantis
Hymenopus coronatus · Order: Mantodea · Family: Hymenopodidae
Also called: Pink Orchard Mantis, Pink orchid mantis, Walking Flower Mantis
The orchid mantis lives in tropical forests of Southeast Asia and may also reach eastern India and Bangladesh. Females are much larger than males, with males sometimes less than half the size of females. It mimics orchid flowers, can sway like a flower in the breeze, and changes colour between pink and brown to match its background.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its front legs are toothed for grasping prey, while the walking legs look like flower petals. It can switch its body colour between pink and brown to blend with its surroundings.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is prized by insect breeders but is extremely rare and expensive.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Because it is rare, it is not commonly kept and is considered costly by collectors.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits tropical forests of Southeast Asia and often moves with a swaying motion like a flower in the wind.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
In the wild it eats small insects like crickets, flies, beetles, bees, wasps, and also caterpillars and other larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
First-stage nymphs resemble Reduviid bugs, which are known for a painful bite and bad taste. Females guard their eggs, showing parental care.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
It hunts on flowering plants such as Melastoma polyanthum, catching insects that visit the flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its range may also extend into eastern India and Bangladesh.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Its flower-like appearance and swaying movement help it blend with real blossoms.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
What does the orchid mantis look like?
It resembles an orchid flower, with petal-like legs and a body that can turn pink or brown to match its surroundings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find orchid mantises in the wild?
They live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and may also be found in eastern India and Bangladesh.
Source: Wikipedia
What do orchid mantises eat?
They prey on small insects such as crickets, flies, beetles, bees, wasps, and also on caterpillars and other larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hymenopodidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenopus_coronatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.