by Sriraksha Bhagavan- Here is the beautifully camouflaged stick insect that freaked me out while I was searching for a beetle on a coffee plant. This was my first encounter with a stick insect!! As I moved closer to the insect, it moved to and fro rhythmically, pretending as if it were a twig swaying in the wind (this strategy helps in confusing its predators). It made me appreciate the difficulties its predator would have to face in order to spot this guy visually. Also, these creatures disprove the famous expression that it takes “two to tango”, as the females have the capability to continue their progeny without the involvement of a male (also known as parthenogenesis).
As I observed this insect for a while, I was left behind with a question as to why nature conferred the ability to camouflage only to certain species.
NICE 