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A moss-patterned praying mantid scurries over the rain forest floor in Surinam. It can be identified as a juvenile from its developing wing buds.

Just weeks old, a juvenile flower mantid tiptoes through a Myanmar rain forest, searching for an orchid at which it can ambush prey.

Blending in with a plant's stamens, a juvenile flower mantid in Myanmar will catch bees. Other species photographed on the assignment mimic leaves, grass, twigs, bark, cockroaches, wasps, and ants.

The mantid in the previous image unfolds herself to clean off her antennae.

This mantid from Cameroon holds herself perfectly straight and resembles a stick; to complete this illusion, her head fits into a groove in her arms.

This Malaysian praying mantid aims to fool enemies and prey alike. Called a dead leaf mantid, its body perfectly imitates withered foliage, though its head (top right) is recognizable.

An Ecuadorian praying mantid matches the color and texture of lichen on a tree branch; its arms are folded under its head, at right, but its antennae are a giveaway.

Praying mantids are a favorite of people around the world. Here a Burmese boy shows off his giant mantid pet.

Summary, My goal was to take an everyday subject that most people think they know well, and show the unexpected. Preying mantids range around the world outside antartica, and they were photographed in several countries for this article. Among…

The Greenlandic town of Narsaaq, viewed through a hole in a melting iceberg, which floats in the fjord surrounding the small town. Meltwater drips across the gap in front of the houses.