Phylliidae | 水產百科網

Leafinsectsarecamouflagedtakingontheappearanceofleaves.Theydothissoaccuratelythatpredatorsoftenarenotabletodistinguishthemfromrealleaves.

Family of leaf insects

The family Phylliidae (often misspelled Phyllidae) contains the extant true leaf insects or walking leaves, which include some of the most remarkably camouflaged leaf mimics (mimesis) in the entire animal kingdom. They occur from South Asia through Southeast Asia to Australia. Earlier sources treat Phylliidae as a much larger taxon, containing genera in what are presently considered to be several different families.[1]

Leaf insects are well camouflaged, taking on the appearance of leaves. They do this so accurately that predators often are not able to distinguish them from real leaves. In some species, the edge of the leaf insects body has the appearance of bite marks. To further confuse predators, when the leaf insect walks, it rocks back and forth, mimicking a real leaf being blown by the wind.[2]

The scholar Antonio Pigafetta was probably the first Western person to document ...