Tiergarten Nürnberg

Astonishing camouflage  

Through their leaf-like body, the Phylliidae look deceptively similar to a leaf. This camouflage is also called mimese (imitation) and helps protect the insects against predators. To make the resemblance more convincing, they mimic a leaf that moves in the wind by their swaying motions.

Male or female? 

Females look similar due to their body shape and their foliage-like overlapping wings, leaves which are even stronger than the males. They have short forewings and in contrast, fully developed hindwings, allowing the flightless females to fly short distances.