Orchid mantis

The orchid mantis is a bug in the. The orchid mantis first appeared in and has appeared in all subsequent games. When approached, the orchid mantis will raise its head in defense. If disturbed long enough, it flies away into the air with a buzzing noise. It is slightly similar to the mantis in appearance, and is found exclusively in dry weather.

In the games that the orchid mantis appears in, it is a rare bug that the player can encounter, and can be found on white flowers. In, it can be caught from spring to fall.

Donating to the museum
Like other insects in the, the orchid mantis can be donated to the museum in both games, followed by Blathers giving a description.

In
Blathers speaks about the orchid mantis's camouflage:

It can be found on the white flower above the entrance to the bug exhibit.

In
Blathers, the curator of the museum, talks of his own experiences with an orchid mantis:

The orchid mantis is found on the central white pansy, amongst the butterflies, on the lower tier of the insect room.

In
Upon being donated, the orchid mantis can be found in the first room of the bug exhibit resting on white flowers placed right next to the entrance.

Real-world information
Found in the rainforests of South-East Asian islands such as Malaysia and Indonesia, the orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) is found primarily on orchids, a flower on which this species of mantis has evolved to replicate. Being primarily carnivorous, they eat most things that happen to pass by, their victims ignorant that they are even present, due to their camouflage. Prey includes lizards, bees, and butterflies. Orchid mantises have also been observed nibbling on bananas, likely to add vitamins to their diet.

As with other species of mantis, orchid mantises go into a frenzy when touched or lifted.

Names in other languages
Mantis Orquídea