About Sibylla pretiosa Stal, 1856
This mantis species has unusual leaf-like femoral projections near the joints of its four walking legs. Adult cryptic mantises can be distinguished from most other mantis species by their leaf-like wings, which are generally the only green portion of the mantis’s otherwise brown and mottled exoskeleton. The thorax of the cryptic mantis is very thin and elongated, similar to the thorax of the wandering violin mantis, Gongylus gongylodes. Adult females typically reach 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) in length, while adult males are generally about 1 cm (0.4 in) smaller. The lifespan of wild cryptic mantises is unknown, but individuals have been recorded living up to nine months in captivity; it is thought that wild mantises likely live slightly longer, up to a year and a few months.
