Trickster Mantis

The trickster mantis is a colorful insect that can easily be mistaken for a flower due to its vivid patterns and peculiar curved form. However, it appearances go beyond mere aesthetics and are a matter of life or death because it is a slow-moving herbivore.
Upon encountering a predator, it chooses one of two responses. If the predator is aerial, the mantis will stop and pretend to be a flower. However, if it is a land predator, the mantis will mimic the head of a larger creature in order to intimidate and hopefully make the predator flee.
The mantis is a staple in Na'vi stories that deal with trickery. While it is passive and predictable, it is also seen as having a hidden wisdom to surprise its enemies. The stories encourage Na'vi to look for hidden qualities in one another.
Its colorful patterns have inspired Na'vi crafts and clothing, as well as the paints Na'vi decorate themselves with, often made with the pigments of the same flower the insect imitates.
==Source==
*Hunter's Guide in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
==Gallery==
Buglike Creature.png
ru:Богомол-шут
pl:Modliszka obłudna
Category:Creatures
Category:Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Category:Herbivore
Category:Insectoids