“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction,” says American biologist, EO Wilson. And some of the gifts by mother nature is no less than a wonder, which is why everyone insists on reconnecting with nature. Because who knows what natural wonder you may come across. Take, for example, this viral video showcasing colourful leaf insects. A Twitter user with the handle, Nature is LitFire @NaturelsLit shared a short clip of few leaf insects crawling over his palm. It got netizens excited, with one them commenting, “Imagine eating a salad and one of these just start moving.” While some found it cool, some found them bizarre, and for some, these leaf insects looked scary. But what are these leaf insects? Cicadas Seen in US First Time in 17 Years! Know If They Are Dangerous And Everything About These Periodical Insects 'Wailing Like Aliens'.

Leaf Insect's Mimicry to Nature!

According to Britannica, “Leaf insect, (family Phylliidae), also called walking leaf, any of more than 50 species of flat, usually green insects (order Phasmida, or Phasmatodea) that are known for their striking leaflike appearance. Leaf insects feed on plants and typically inhabit densely vegetated areas. Their natural range extends from islands in the Indian Ocean, across parts of mainland South Asia and Southeast Asia, to Papua New Guinea and Australia in the western Pacific.” Now, that we kind of know about these cool creatures, let us check out a few more interesting facts about them.

  1. Leaf insects use camouflage to take on the appearance of a leaf. They do so to confuse their predators who often mistake them as real leaves. Smart move!

  2. If camouflage is not already enough, these leaf insects walk by rocking back and forth, to mimic a real leaf being blown by the wind. Mind Blown!!

  3. These cool bugs, when young, known as nymphs, are reddish in colour. It is only when they start eating leaves and plants; they turn green in colour.

  4. Not to mention, they are herbivore aka vegetarian aka shudh shakahari.

  5. There are over 50 species of these leaf bugs.

  6. Leaf insects are related to the stick insects, also known as walking sticks and go together in the Order Phasmatodea.

So, that was quite some information about these nature’s delightful creatures. We are completely bowled over our little many-legged creepy-crawly friends. Unlike other bugs, they don’t scare the bejesus out of us.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2020 08:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).