Acanthops species have an unusual degree of sexual dimorphism compared to other mantids.

The male weighs under 200 mg and has long functional wings that resemble a flat or rolled-up dead leaf at rest.

When perched, males often assume a posture where the head, grasping legs and prothorax add to the camouflage by recreating the appearance of a dead leaf's shriveled petiole and stipules.

[citation needed] A. falcata is relatively easy to breed in captivity and has become widely distributed through the pet trade.

Male adults live up to a month after their final molt, and are often able to escape unharmed after mating, rather than falling prey to the female as in the European mantis.