Night of the Walking Leaf

What am I looking at?

This is a female giant Malaysian leaf insect (Pulchriphyllium giganteum) at the nymph stage, sitting on a bramble leaf. Its short thorax (1); large, angular abdomen (2); head (3); and flanged limbs (4) are all colored light green and patterned to mimic the veins of a leaf. Note that the edges of its body and limbs (5) are irregular and colored brown to create the impression that it’s an old, unappetizing leaf – after all, it doesn’t want to appear appealing to herbivores. Faux caterpillar bitemarks on the edges of its abdomen – particularly on the right (6) – complete the illusion.

Biology in the background

These insects are absolute masters of disguise. The coloring and structure of their bodies and legs allow them to blend into the leafy background of the West Malaysian tropical forests where they live. Not only do they look like leaves, but they also move like them, too. When they walk, they rock back and forth to mimic a leaf gently blowing in the breeze. They also move very slowly to avoid attracting attention. Like stick insects – their cousins in the order Phasmatodea – Pulchriphyllium is an herbivore.

The flightless females of the species can grow up to 12 centimeters long, or a little longer than the length of a human palm. The males are smaller, slenderer, and able to fly short distances.

Technique

This image was created using macrophotography.