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Description
Cryptomantis is a a genus composed of a long list of tiny ambush-hunting insectivores very variable in shape and color, many can even change colors, but this ability varies greatly from species to species, some can only change between green and brown, but other species acquired the ability to display yellow, red, blue and their combinations.

Those species can not only pretend to be leaves or sticks, they can appear to be fruits too, and they all use changing color for communication, for example rapidly switching to their darkest tone when angry.

The exact proportions like the length of the body, legs, and grasping appendages also varies from species to species.

There are bony studs on the inside of the palms and arms as supportive structures for dentine spikes which aid in grasping the struggling prey firmly.

The membrane between the digits and forearm has little openings in it, so it has lower air resistance, which allows the animal to dart the grasping appendages forward at an incredible speed.

The grasping “claws“ on one arms, or the struggling prey itself, can tear the membrane, but the damage is often too tiny to hinder the animal’s snatching ability.

The animal can quickly recover even from a more severe injury, the membrane is one of the fastest-healing tissues found in the animal kingdom on beta Colibri.

The second picture may look almost exactly like the first one, which wouldn’t be so surprising given the animals are close relatives, but don’t let this fool you.

The little schematic picture of the dorsal view clearly displays what’s this Cryptomantis’ trick – the strikingly extended vertebral spines forming a leaf-like shape, which in turn increases the animal’s ability to hide itself by a great margin.

the other picture shows that different species sometimes evolve similar features by following a different path, which is called convergent evolution. Here the mimic the horizontally- and vertically-crested animals evolved to mimic the same plant in a different way, being an obvious example.

The illustrations are nothing in comparison with the true variety of shapes ad forms though, there are forms with horizontally oriented crests (some perfectly horizontal, some growing out at an angle, as the second scheme shows) and some with vertically oriented ones.

There is no need to emphasize that there is a variety in the shape of the edge too, from smooth to serrated, from lobed to palm-like.

Some species go so far that they even have asymmetric crests, with the lobes in an “offset” – left lobe matches right gap – to further break down the outline of the animal.

Because they are very small, they too need protection against bigger predators than themselves. They spread their arms and either form an image of “false eyes” or “war stripes” on them or on the entire body, a striking pattern to confuse the predator to think the animal is either bigger or more dangerous than it actually is, but, of course, this cannot work always.

The males perform a courtship display for the females, they flash their arms, often showing the brightest tones of green, yellow, red and blue they are able to produce.

The choosy females then mate with the fittest males they can see.

The "upside down" picture shows, even though it might not be as apparent as I thought, that the cryptomantis can rotate its head by 180° to see the world right side up even when it hangs head down.

Please note that this insect-sized (and insect-shaped )animal is a "vertebrate".

The idea for this animal came from a rough sketch of chamele-like animal, I wanted to make a stealthy, slow-moving insectivore effortlessly climbing even on thin branches, with mouth (or a different body part) adapted to dart forward to snatch the prey, and with feet with firm grip, but the animal looked so much like the inspiration that I had to trash it.

This made me think about other insectivores that are masters of camouflage and catch prey with one lightning-fast movement, and a mantis, as name suggests, was an instant idea.

This led me to creating this funky creature, a member of the Mesognathids (the beak is on the front, but not yet connected to the skull itself, as it still projects from the chest.)

To make it less mantis-like, I decided to give it a pair of nets on the arms, rather than "pocket knives".

Tell me what you think, I still have a bunch of "yet-to-upload" sketches, but this one is a "topkick"

Description
Cryptomantis is a a genus composed of a long list of tiny ambush-hunting insectivores very variable in shape and color, many can even change colors, but this ability varies greatly from species to species, some can only change between green and brown, but other species acquired the ability to display yellow, red, blue and their combinations.

Those species can not only pretend to be leaves or sticks, they can appear to be fruits too, and they all use changing color for communication, for example rapidly switching to their darkest tone when angry.

The exact proportions like the length of the body, legs, and grasping appendages also varies from species to species.

There are bony studs on the inside of the palms and arms as supportive structures for dentine spikes which aid in grasping the struggling prey firmly.

The membrane between the digits and forearm has little openings in it, so it has lower air resistance, which allows the animal to dart the grasping appendages forward at an incredible speed.

The grasping “claws“ on one arms, or the struggling prey itself, can tear the membrane, but the damage is often too tiny to hinder the animal’s snatching ability.

The animal can quickly recover even from a more severe injury, the membrane is one of the fastest-healing tissues found in the animal kingdom on beta Colibri.

The second picture may look almost exactly like the first one, which wouldn’t be so surprising given the animals are close relatives, but don’t let this fool you.

The little schematic picture of the dorsal view clearly displays what’s this Cryptomantis’ trick – the strikingly extended vertebral spines forming a leaf-like shape, which in turn increases the animal’s ability to hide itself by a great margin.

the other picture shows that different species sometimes evolve similar features by following a different path, which is called convergent evolution. Here the mimic the horizontally- and vertically-crested animals evolved to mimic the same plant in a different way, being an obvious example.

The illustrations are nothing in comparison with the true variety of shapes ad forms though, there are forms with horizontally oriented crests (some perfectly horizontal, some growing out at an angle, as the second scheme shows) and some with vertically oriented ones.

There is no need to emphasize that there is a variety in the shape of the edge too, from smooth to serrated, from lobed to palm-like.

Some species go so far that they even have asymmetric crests, with the lobes in an “offset” – left lobe matches right gap – to further break down the outline of the animal.

Because they are very small, they too need protection against bigger predators than themselves. They spread their arms and either form an image of “false eyes” or “war stripes” on them or on the entire body, a striking pattern to confuse the predator to think the animal is either bigger or more dangerous than it actually is, but, of course, this cannot work always.

The males perform a courtship display for the females, they flash their arms, often showing the brightest tones of green, yellow, red and blue they are able to produce.

The choosy females then mate with the fittest males they can see.

The "upside down" picture shows, even though it might not be as apparent as I thought, that the cryptomantis can rotate its head by 180° to see the world right side up even when it hangs head down.

Please note that this insect-sized (and insect-shaped )animal is a "vertebrate".

The idea for this animal came from a rough sketch of chamele-like animal, I wanted to make a stealthy, slow-moving insectivore effortlessly climbing even on thin branches, with mouth (or a different body part) adapted to dart forward to snatch the prey, and with feet with firm grip, but the animal looked so much like the inspiration that I had to trash it.

This made me think about other insectivores that are masters of camouflage and catch prey with one lightning-fast movement, and a mantis, as name suggests, was an instant idea.

This led me to creating this funky creature, a member of the Mesognathids (the beak is on the front, but not yet connected to the skull itself, as it still projects from the chest.)

To make it less mantis-like, I decided to give it a pair of nets on the arms, rather than "pocket knives".

Tell me what you think, I still have a bunch of "yet-to-upload" sketches, but this one is a "topkick"