Ghost mantis feeding at the Saint Louis Zoo

The ghost mantis, Phyllocrania Paradoxa, is native to the continent of Africa, including the island of Madagascar. A type of dead leaf mantis, the unique ornamentation on its head helps it blend in with dried leaves. Ghost mantises are carnivores and they eat other insects, mainly flies. Because they blend in, they hunt by sitting and waiting for an insect to wander within reach. They grab the insect with sharp spiny forearms and then devour it. In this video, a zookeeper in the Insectarium a