Today the Department of Awesome Camouflage is wondering if there’s any creature more impressive than the Lichen Katydid(Markia hystrix), an insect that looks like it’s actually made out of delicate lichen. It looks more like something out of a fairytale than a real-life insect, but that’s simply because the natural world is so freaking awesome!
Lichen Katydids are native to Central and South America. Wildlife photographer David Weller captured this mesmerizing footage of a Lichen Katydid somewhere in the Cartago Province of Costa Rica carefully making its way across some vegetation that looks like it might’ve grown from its own body :
Last pic of this guy, I promise, but here’s side-by-side pics of large nymph, newly molted roach, and hardened roach. Same guy, pics scaled to about accurate comparison sizes.
Final result of the peppered roach who had his final molt yesterday. Hardened up his exoskeleton overnight, and here he is!
He had his antennae tucked up for this pic because I’d just picked him up, but about 30 seconds after, he started crawling around on my hands. Still nice and calm, just exploring a bit. Bigger bugs always seem to be much calmer than small ones.
The dress I’ve been wanting since 2011 but only bought last week arrived and I love it. I take my fashion inspiration from beetles that spray you with horrifically stinky defense chemicals when you impulsively pluck them from the ground during the eclipse.
Hey, Ship? Are you much taller than I thought or are you just standing in a short room and doorway
Short room and doorway. I live in a renovated attic.
That’s a fiery caterpillar hunter! They run around really fast, have beautiful rainbow bellies, and are hard to keep in captivity because they only eat live prey.
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