Phyllium celebicum
| Distribution: | Malaysia & Indonesia |
| Size: | 80 – 100mm |
| Diet: | Various leaves |
Like stick insects, leaf insects belong to the order phasmida, which means apparition or phantom in ancient Greek. This refers to the fact that these bugs expertly resemble vegetation far more than animals.
Leaf insect mimicry is so sophisticated that many individuals will have brown edges, holes or even markings that look like diseased blotches. To complete the illusion, many leaf insects will gently sway to give the impression of a leaf softly moving in the breeze.
They’re a stunning example of the evolutionary arms race that exists between the keen senses of predators (in this case birds, rodents and reptiles) and the necessarily ingenious disguises of their prey. Leaf insects (and other insects like katydids, mantises and moths) evolve such extraordinary camouflage simply because they are surrounded by so many predators with acute vision – individuals that don’t look especially leafy are more likely to be eaten before passing on their genes, so there’s a selection pressure on good mimicry.
Take a closer look…
