Why Do These Deadly Insects Look Like Flowers?

This video is perfect for adults orchids. Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Many creatures wear disguises in order to keep safe from predators, but there are some that dress to kill. Orchid mantises are one of nature’s most awesome examples of aggressive mimicry. These killer insects are almost indistinguishable from orchids! Scientists recently learned that their disguise doesn’t work quite how we thought it did. Special thanks to YouTuber Fruchtpudding for letting us use their awesome orchid mantis hunting footage! https://www.youtube.com/user/Fruchtpudding ----------- READ MORE: O’Hanlon, J. C. (2016). Orchid mantis. Current Biology, 26(4), R145-R146. O’Hanlon, J. C., Holwell, G. I., & Herberstein, M. E. (2013). Pollinator deception in the orchid mantis. The American Naturalist, 183(1), 126-132. O’Hanlon, J. C., Herberstein, M. E., & Holwell, G. I. (2014). Habitat selection in a deceptive predator: maximizing resource availability and signal efficacy. Behavioral Ecology, 26(1), 194-199. ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Producer/editor/animator: Andrew Matthews Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com