It can be found in Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy and on the mediterranean coasts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey and Egypt.

[1] Because of its cryptic nature, or also possibly because of its fragmented, low-density populations, it is rarely encountered in the wild.

Some predatory insects like mantises rely on cryptic colouration; they use this camouflage to protect themselves from predators and capture prey.

They live in dry, warm environments and use their cryptic colouring of either greens and pinks or various shades of brown to keep hidden from predators.

The release of a sex pheromone by Empusa pennata is an adaptation derived from sexual selection.