Phil Torres Instagram – Look closely at the first image, can you find it? This is hands down one of the most remarkable examples of camouflage in nature, and one that I had previously only seen in textbooks. It’s an insect, and it is *very* well disguised. Once you give up, you can swipe right until it finally stands out. If you managed to find it from image one, you’re welcome to assist me in the field any time!
Seeing this moss mimic stick insect (Trichopeplus laciniatus) in the wild was a bucket list experience for me. This species is endemic to the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, and is unsurprisingly nearly impossible to find. Even with it right in front of me I would lose it by merely glancing down at my camera to change settings and have to find it again as it moved a few inches over to another patch of moss., As you can see by the munch marks on the leaves in the final image, it is one of the few insects that feeds on orchids. Which, here in the cloud forest, is a telltale sign that this stick insect is nearby, though finding it is never a guarantee even with that lead.
#entomology #costarica | Posted on 08/Jan/2024 07:21:36
