30 of the Most Absurd-Looking Mantis Species

5 Conehead Mantis
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A native of the Mediterranean, the conehead mantis (Empusa pennata) is easily distinguished by its protruding crown and feathery antennae, which give it an alien appearance. It can grow to over four inches in length and is a prodigious predator capable of taking down prey its own size. Like all mantises, it catches prey through stalking, pouncing, and gripping its victims in spinelike front legs. It likes to live in open areas of scrub and perennial herbs.6