It is not to be confused with Acanthops falcata, a different species in the same genus that is often referred to with the same common name.

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

The flightless female resembles a curled dead leaf and weighs twice as much as the male.

The male flies well 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.