Leaf mimic katydid

Look closely; can you tell which leaf is really an insect? Image: © Dan L. Perlman/EcoLibrary.org, used with permission

As  child, I always thought walking sticks, or “stick-bugs” were pretty amazing in their camouflage.  Now, I’ve learned, the leaf-mimic katydids take disguise to a whole new level.

Abundant in humid tropical areas, these critters are part of a group of insects known as Pterochrozini, which mimic leaves. But not just new green leaves — no, these bugs have perfected the art of the speckled, decaying, and chewed leaf. Some of the “leaves” even have “holes” (areas with a translucent membrane window). And what’s more, within a single species, no two individuals are alike. In fact they vary so widely in appearance that nearly 22% of all species of Pterochrozini were “discovered” and described more than once under different names.

Now why would a species exhibit so much diversity?

In this case predation breeds innovation. The principle predators of the leaf-mimic katydids are monkeys. Primates are very smart and systematically comb through vegetation looking for tasty katydids. If all katydids imitated a leaf the same way, the monkeys would quickly learn how to identify a fake “leaf.” But when every individual’s fake is different, the task becomes much more complex.

Visit entomologist and photographer Poitr Naskrecki’s site for more information and amazing photos of katydids.

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