B1 READING PART4 EXERCISE1

The orchid mantis is beautiful, and looks just like a flower, with body parts that look like petals. What’s more it uses its shape and bright flowery colours to attract food and fool other insects that may want to eat it. It doesn’t, however, live on orchids.

It can also be found in trees that grow white and pink flowers.

Though generally white, the insect can turn itself shades of pink and purple within a few days.

This makes it look like the orchids found in the humid jungles in Malaysia. To do what it does best, it needs to feel comfortable in different conditions of humidity and light, and when that happens, it changes colours to fit in.

Then it’s just about sitting very still and waiting. Unsuspecting insects that mistake it for a flower may land nearby.

This allows the pretty mantis to catch them for a quick meal.

The orchid mantis can also fly, and flying insects such as butterflies and moths are mainly what the mantis eats.

So, when necessary, it will also eat jungle fruits.

A female orchid mantis may grow up to about two and a half inches long, but the male grows only to about an inch.

Then, while she lives to about eight months, he lives for just five or six months, if he’s lucky, because, in the jungle, danger can sometimes come from surprising places, which makes the male more anxious than the female. One reason he might be nervous is that when it’s time to mate, a hungry female may eat him. Usually males approach females when they’re already busy eating something else.

The Tribune