APN Features: Insect Crypsis

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Leaf Katydid by MagentaMachina


        Within the biological world, more people have likely heard of 'mimicry' or 'camouflage'  than of 'crypsis', but this term is even more encompassing.

"In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an organism to avoid observation or detection by other organisms. It may be either a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation, and methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, transparency, and mimicry.1"

        If you have ever seen a peculiar leaf stuck to your window, only to realize that it is in fact a katydid, you've been fooled by crypsis. Many animals employ camouflage or mimicry, but it is particularly fascinating within the insect world. Perhaps that's just the plant lover in me, enamored with creatures mimicking botanical forms. :lol: Whatever it is, below are some examples from DA's invertebrate gallery to showcase a bit of this evolutionary wonder.  

The Leaf by MonarchzManGreen Leaf Mimic by MonarchzMan
The most remarkable thing about katydids might not even be their "leaf veins" and twiggy legs, but the fact that often their morphology even mimics the dead, crumbling parts of a leaf.
Costa Rican Leaf Katydid by Hoodoo2060Katydid by dllavaneras
Katydid lichen by X-Alex
Macleay's Spectre by EntophileGiant Prickly Stick Insect by Preradkor
A pair of sticks by WeirdBugLady
Stick Insect (Close-up) by Ramses-Anael
The longest insect recorded to date was a 62.4 centimeter (2 foot!) long stick insect, found last year in China.
Stick Insect - I by alokethebloke
Flatid Planthoppers 50D0005887 by Cristian-MThorn Treehopper by craftworker
Treehoppers have some of the most alien appendages in the insect world, though many species look like tiny leaves or thorns, especially when congregated together on a branch.
treehopper by juandoso
Thorn treehopper - Umbonia crassicornis by ColinHuttonPhoto
Ant mimic spider by dllavanerasAnt-mimic spider III by dllavaneras
Above are two ants... Except they're not ants. :fear: Count the legs!
Robber Fly 20D0026145 by Cristian-M
Robber flies look like bumble or carpenter bees.
Wasp Mimic Moth by tioedbob
You might steer clear of these two, though they are nothing more than a fly (left) and a moth (right). (Best not to take chances.)
Hummingbird clearwing Moth 2016 2 by natureguyHummingbird Clearwing 1 by seto2112
There are even moths that mimic hummingbirds! These are hummingbird clearwings. 
Geometer Moth larva 20D0036817 by Cristian-M

"Birds must hunt quickly and efficiently; they must find lots of food to feed their hungry chicks and they must do it as quickly as possible to minimize their own exposure to predators. If a caterpillar looks just like a twig, a bird would have to look closely at every twig to find it. Looking like a twig, then, elevates the cost of searching beyond what the bird can afford both energetically and ecologically.2"

Another Leaf by FezzgatorLiving Leaf, Dead Leaf by FezzgatorThe Leaf King by Fezzgator
Hymenopus Coronatus by Mantide
Another h. coronatus wallpaper by pulsarr
Orchid mantis by AngiWallace
The orchid mantis, looking like its botanical counterpart.

        This is supposed to be a feature, not a tutorial, but I accidentally brainstormed a few tips as I was compiling these photos. :paranoid: I have taken entomology in the past, where being able to locate a wide variety of insect species was part of my grade, and I can tell you it's not an overnight thing. It takes a lot of time and effort, and even moreso if you are hunting down insects like these that blend in with their surroundings particularly well.

:bulletblack: Find books and websites on entomology to discover what insect species inhabit your area (or migrate to it). Don't despair if you can't find them—as we have seen here, often their chances of survival are increased by their elusiveness! As with wildlife photography, patience pays off, and you may need a lot of it.
:bulletblack: Look for movement. That may be obvious; insects are not, in spite of hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary changes, camouflaged 24/7. When you're trying to find a leaf or stick insect among nothing but leaves and sticks, it might only be a short trip to another bush that catches your eye.
:bulletblack: Look for something out of place. Our brains are good at picking up on patterns, and noticing when something looks a bit off. Look for legs! Antennae! The spiney leg of a mantis, poised to rip the head off of an unsuspecting fly!

If you have some cool insect photographs, feel free to share them with AnimalsPlantsNature!

1 Knowledge Encyclopedia, Crypsis
2 Crypsis: Nature's Camouflage
+ extra credit - a really good overview of how crypsis works within an evolutionary framework: Crypsis (Insects)

devil mantis 001 by macrojunkie


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X-Alex's avatar
Thanks for the feature! :) (Smile)