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Dead Leaf Mantis | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Dead Leaf Mantis

Deroplatys desiccata

InsectaLeaf litter and low vegetation in lowland rainforest of Southeast Asia

Field profile

The dead leaf mantis has a broad, ruffled shield over the thorax and mottled brown wings that reproduce the shape, veining and damage of a fallen leaf. It hunts near the forest floor. Disturbed individuals rear up and flare the forelegs and wings in a threat display.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-11-14

Dead Leaf Mantis

Dead leaf mantises copy decay, not just colour

Matching the brown of a fallen leaf is only the beginning. The dead leaf mantis reproduces leaf veins, irregular edges that read as insect damage, and blotches resembling fungal spotting, and it sways as though moved by air.

Read with evidence →