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Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

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Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.  
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Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
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Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
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Pollinator deception in the orchid mantis.

James C O'Hanlon1, Gregory I Holwell, Marie E Herberstein

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.

The American Naturalist
|December 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The Malaysian orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) mimics flowers to attract pollinators as prey. This study provides the first experimental evidence of this unique predatory strategy in insects.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Mimicry is a common evolutionary strategy for survival and reproduction.
  • Flower mimicry has been observed in plants, but its occurrence in animals, particularly insects, is less understood.
  • The Malaysian orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) has long been suspected of mimicking flowers to prey on pollinators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the hypothesis that Hymenopus coronatus mimics flowers to attract pollinators for predation.
  • To determine if the mantis's coloration is indistinguishable from sympatric flowers to key pollinators.
  • To quantify the predatory success of the orchid mantis compared to actual flowers.

Main Methods:

  • Colorimetric analysis comparing the mantis's coloration to sympatric flowers.

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  • Field experiments using isolated mantises and flowers to attract and capture wild pollinators (hymenopterans).
  • Observation and quantification of pollinator visitation and predation rates.

    • Main Results:

    • The coloration of Hymenopus coronatus was found to be indistinguishable from sympatric flowers for hymenopteran pollinators.
    • Isolated mantises attracted wild pollinators at a higher rate than actual flowers.
    • Mantises successfully captured pollinators, demonstrating effective prey luring.

    Conclusions:

    • This study provides the first experimental evidence supporting flower mimicry in the orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus).
    • The findings reveal a unique predatory strategy involving pollinator deception, previously undocumented in the animal kingdom.
    • The research confirms a century-old hypothesis regarding the orchid mantis's mimicry and predatory behavior.