Adults are usually about 45–55 mm long.
Fine-art photographic collection
Phyllocrania paradoxa
A dead leaf with grasping arms — and a hatchling that begins life disguised as an ant.
About this species
Ghost Mantis
Phyllocrania paradoxaBurmeister, 1838
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Phyllocrania paradoxa is an African mantis specialised for masquerading as dry vegetation. Its flattened body, lobed limbs and leaf-like head projection conceal it from predators and from the insects it ambushes.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Mantodea · Hymenopodidae · Phyllocrania
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
Sub-Saharan Africa and MadagascarBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
Dry scrub, woodland edges and vegetation containing dead leaves and twigs.
Usually motionless by day, swaying or repositioning slowly before striking prey.
Small flying and crawling insects.
Solitary; females produce foamy egg cases called oothecae.
What makes this species remarkable?
The body is not merely brown: its flattened abdomen, jagged lobes, head crest and vein-like markings reproduce the three-dimensional geometry of a dead leaf.
Newly hatched nymphs abandon the leaf disguise and resemble ants, gaining protection during the vulnerable stage before their leaf-like lobes develop.
When threatened, larger nymphs and females can collapse into rigid thanatosis, remaining motionless like a detached piece of vegetation rather than fleeing.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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