98-Million-year-old Leaf-like Mantis Found in Amber

WHO:

ScienceAlert - Paleoentomologist Hongru Yang and colleagues described the fossil mantis and its relationship to the plant *Selaginella grimaldii*.

Yahoo - Paleoentomologist Hongru Yang and colleagues described the fossil mantis and its relationship to the plant *Selaginella grimaldii*.

ScienceAlert - Collector Fangyuan Xia acquired the *Folimantis hyalinala* specimen and donated it to the insect evolution lab at Capital Normal University in Beijing.

Yahoo - Collector Fangyuan Xia acquired the *Folimantis hyalinala* specimen and donated it to the insect evolution lab at Capital Normal University in Beijing.

ScienceAlert - The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology called for a moratorium on publishing fossil specimens in Myanmar amber; the United Nations condemned the crime linked to the amber trade as a “genocidal crime against humanity.”

Yahoo - The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology called for a moratorium on publishing fossil specimens in Myanmar amber; the United Nations condemned the crime linked to the amber trade as a “genocidal crime against humanity.”

WHAT:

ScienceAlert - The fossil, named *Folimantis hyalinala*, is the earliest clear fossil evidence of praying mantises mimicking plant leaves. Its abdomen resembles *Selaginella grimaldii*, an extinct plant also known from amber specimens in the region.

Yahoo - The fossil, named *Folimantis hyalinala*, is the earliest clear fossil evidence of praying mantises mimicking plant leaves. Its abdomen resembles *Selaginella grimaldii*, an extinct plant also known from amber specimens in the region.

ScienceAlert - The species’ leaf-like extensions occur only on its abdomen and are visible through its transparent wings. The article says this may indicate that mimicry began at the rear before extending to other body parts.

Yahoo - The species’ leaf-like extensions occur only on its abdomen and are visible through its transparent wings. The article says this may indicate that mimicry began at the rear before extending to other body parts.

ScienceAlert - The name *Folimantis* means “leaf mantis”; *hyalinala* refers to the glass-like transparency of its wings. The figure’s scale bar is 0.5 mm.

Yahoo - The name *Folimantis* means “leaf mantis”; *hyalinala* refers to the glass-like transparency of its wings. The figure’s scale bar is 0.5 mm.

ScienceAlert - The researchers wrote that insect-plant mimicry has evolved for at least 200 million years, but reliable fossil examples are scarce. They said this mimicry style has not previously been reported and no modern mantis species is known to mimic *Selaginella*.

Yahoo - The researchers wrote that insect-plant mimicry has evolved for at least 200 million years, but reliable fossil examples are scarce. They said this mimicry style has not previously been reported and no modern mantis species is known to mimic *Selaginella*.

WHERE:

ScienceAlert - The mantis was trapped in amber in a tropical rainforest in what is now Myanmar; the specimen was later donated to Capital Normal University in Beijing.

Yahoo - The mantis was trapped in amber in a tropical rainforest in what is now Myanmar; the specimen was later donated to Capital Normal University in Beijing.

WHEN:

ScienceAlert - The fossil is approximately 98 million years old, from the mid-Cretaceous.

Yahoo - The fossil is approximately 98 million years old, from the mid-Cretaceous.

ScienceAlert - The article says mantises share an ancestor with cockroaches that lived around 274 million years ago; distinct mantises may have emerged around 185 million years ago, during the Jurassic.

Yahoo - The article says mantises share an ancestor with cockroaches that lived around 274 million years ago; distinct mantises may have emerged around 185 million years ago, during the Jurassic.

WHY:

ScienceAlert - Leaf mimicry could help mantises approach prey and avoid their own predators; mantid inhabitants could also protect plants from herbivorous insects.

Yahoo - Leaf mimicry could help mantises approach prey and avoid their own predators; mantid inhabitants could also protect plants from herbivorous insects.

HOW:

ScienceAlert - The fossil was preserved in tree resin that became amber. The article says Myanmar banned fossil exports, amber-embedded specimens occupy a legal grey area, and Kachin amber mining and trade are linked to sociopolitical turmoil.

Yahoo - The fossil was preserved in tree resin that became amber. The article says Myanmar banned fossil exports, amber-embedded specimens occupy a legal grey area, and Kachin amber mining and trade are linked to sociopolitical turmoil.

ScienceAlert - The specimen was acquired by Fangyuan Xia and donated to the university’s insect evolution lab; the research was published in *New Phytologist*.

Yahoo - The specimen was acquired by Fangyuan Xia and donated to the university’s insect evolution lab; the research was published in *New Phytologist*.

(UPDATED November 14, 2026 16:05 UTC)

A 98-million-year-old fossil reveals the earliest clear evidence of praying mantises mimicking leaves. Named *Folimantis hyalinala*, the amber-preserved insect has leaf-like extensions on its abdomen. Researchers described the specimen, while paleontologists urge a halt to publishing fossils from Myanmar amber.