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Instagram user @oleg.pars went viral after sharing a clip of a “rare insect disguised as a flower" known as the Lotus or Celestial Mantis in a post dated March 7, 2025. Netizens were amazed to see the supposed species, which appeared to have petals resembling those of a white lotus, along with a mouth and legs akin to those of a grasshopper.
“When a monk mentioned the lotus mantis — a rare insect disguised as a flower living high in the mountains — I knew I had to see it for myself. After an exhausting climb through freezing conditions, the creature appeared just at sunrise, calmly perching on my hand,” the caption read.
“Standing there, cold but completely amazed, I realized the best adventures start with a story you can’t quite believe. Flux, Kling, Aftereffects, Elevenlabs.”
The now-viral post gained significant traction online, amassing 11.1 million likes, 48.2 thousand comments, and 4.1 million shares at the time of writing. However, the video is fake. The Celestial Mantis does not actually exist, and there is no scientific evidence to support the video.
Additionally, among the numerous hashtags below the caption, there were several indications that the creature in @oleg.par’s post was computer-generated. Hashtags such as #vfx, #ai, #digitalart, #aiart, #airartcommunity, and #aiartists were included. The hashtag #midjourneygallery also referenced the AI image platform, Midjourney.
Furthermore, another inconsistency in the clip was that the person’s hand, where the AI-generated Celestial Mantis came and sat, appeared to have six fingers, further debunking the video.
In light of this, netizens are having diverse reactions on Instagram. While some considered the creature as real, others questioned its authenticity.
Meanwhile, some were stunned by the beauty of the fictional creature—
The Celestial Mantis is not real
The video shared by @oleg.pars last month gained additional attention after fellow user @ziad_zebra reposted it on April 1, 2025, seemingly as an April Fool’s Day prank. It showed the Celestial Mantis flying and landing on a six-fingered human hand, covered with black gloves, set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
“The Celestial Mantis just landed on his hand. Only 3 sightings in the last 150 years. Is this a sign?” the video description read.
Meanwhile, the post's caption referred to the Celestial Mantis as a “mythical creature” and stated it was “last seen in 1872," noting that its recent sighting reportedly “stunned” the scientific community.
“At 10,000 ft in the snow-covered peaks, this unthinkable moment was captured: the legendary Celestial Mantis appeared… and landed calmly on a human hand. Only 3 sightings have ever been recorded. The last one was in 1872, by a British explorer who vanished shortly after,” the caption went on.
@ziad_zebra further claimed that locals regarded the creature as "not an insect” but rather “a spirit guide in disguise.” The creator of the post also questioned whether this was “just nature” or “something more."
However, the now-viral post, which received over 1.3 million likes in a week, appears to be fabricated, seemingly uploaded for the sake of virality and sensationalism. The original video spread across various platforms and was even shared on Reddit's @r/MartialMemes community page on April 5, as well as by One Green Planet on Facebook on March 11.
The latter post included the caption, “The stunning lotus mantis. AI or Real?"
Under this post, netizens made similar observations. Some noted that the six fingers looked suspicious, while others pointed out that there is no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the Celestial Mantis in the real world.
Notably, there is an insect called the orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) that closely resembles the fictional Celestial Mantis. Native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, this creature is renowned for its camouflage and mimicry abilities.
It looks like an orchid flower, with white and pink petals, forward-facing eyes and long legs. The orchid mantis possesses binocular vision that aids in locating prey while remaining concealed from predators by disguising itself as a flower.
