Is it a stunning pink orchid in bloom or a cunning predator lying in wait? The orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) may look like a flower, but it’s actually an insect! It’s one of the most beautiful insects in the world, which disguises itself to look just like the flower it’s named after to lure insect prey. Orchid mantises are a type of praying mantis that are bright pink, with legs shaped like orchid petals. These bugs are so pretty, in fact, that many people keep them as pets — and after seeing one sweet video of an orchid mantis sipping water from its owner’s hand, it’s easy to see why they are so beloved!
“Sweetpea having a drink off my hand = my new favourite thing,” Instagram user Abi (@woodland.oddities), who is an “insect preservation artist” according to her bio, wrote in a June 2025 video. In the clip, Abi holds out her hand, which has some drops of water across her knuckles. The light pink orchid mantis leans down to sip off her hand in the cutest moment caught on video.
Orchid mantises are one of the prettiest insects around.
©iStock.com/phittavas
In the caption, Abi explained exactly how this situation came to be. “I hadn’t handled her since her final molt 4-5 days ago,” Abi wrote. “She walked STRAIGHT into my hand (the only time I’ll handle her ofc!) – she’s been having a lil drink of water droplets in her tank but occasionally I like to give her a bit off’ my hand – just as a way to get her more used to me :)”
Abi wrote that her orchid mantis also enjoys eating small-to-medium-sized locusts.
People were amazed by seeing this gorgeous insect in action. “she’s a faerie in disguise
what a magical lil bb,” one person commented on the video. Someone else wrote, “uhm. that might be the cutest thing i’ve ever seen.” (We totally agree!)
Female Orchid Mantises Are Predators
The bright, pink orchid mantis insect seen in the video above is a female orchid mantis, which is about double the size of males, per National Geographic. Male orchid mantises are smaller and less vibrantly colored than females. A study by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History found that, in the past, orchid mantises started hanging out with flowers in order to hunt pollinators like bees and other insects.
“Then, a small group within this lineage started evolving larger females to take advantage of all the pollinating insects that visit flowers,” Gavin Svenson, author of a study of this insect, told National Geographic. He explained that the orchid mantises’ ancestors had the same color patterns as other mantis species, which is a green and black pattern that makes it harder for predators to spot them.
Female orchid mantises are experts at disguising themselves.
©Galuh M/Shutterstock.com
Eventually, the female orchid mantises developed their gorgeous yellow, white, and pink coloring to better camouflage as flowers and attract prey, while the males remained small and inconspicuous so they could avoid predators, find a mate, and ambush prey.
“We think the males remain small because they need to move around the environment to find females and mate,” Svenson told the outlet. “If you look like a giant conspicuous flower and you’re actively moving around, you give yourself away.”
A January 2024 study in Current Biology found that the orchid mantis’s petal-shaped legs enable it to achieve the shallowest gliding trajectories observed in terrestrial invertebrates. It’s just another way the orchid mantis is so unique!
The Orchid Mantis Is Found in Asia
It’s unlikely you’ll come across an orchid mantis in the wild. This insect is native to Southeast Asian rainforests, where they will hide among flowers, even swaying to look like petals blowing in the wind. Some people do have them as pets, however. Reptile Supply has tons of tips on caring for an orchid mantis pet, which has a total lifespan of just 5 to 9 months.
If you want one, you’ll need to make sure you keep it in a terrarium or mesh box and keep them separate so they don’t attack and eat each other. They need a humidity level between 60 and 80 percent to stay healthy and enjoy having things to climb on in their home, such as twigs, vines, live plants, artificial foliage, and flowers, of course.
An orchid mantis will molt up to 10 times in its lifetime.
©Fehmiu Roffytavare/Shutterstock.com
Orchid mantises are carnivorous and typically eat small insects several times a week. They typically stop eating a day or two before they molt and will molt 5 to 10 times in their lifetime.
Reptile Supply also recommended not touching or handling your pet orchid mantis. “It’s best practice not to handle pet invertebrates very much, if at all, and this certainly applies to the orchid mantis,” they wrote. “Instead, enjoy the beauty of this incredible animal!”
You don’t have to tell us twice!
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