|Geographical Range||Malaysia (in southeastern Asia)|
|Scientific Name||Heteropteryx dilatata| |Conservation
Status||Not listed by IUCN| Talk about specialized camouflage!
Depending on the gender, these fascinating insects resemble
either leaves OR twigs. The body of a female Malaysian
walkingstick (pictured at left) looks just like a green leaf,
while the smaller male does a great impersonation of a brown
twig. Both have evolved these clever body shapes to escape
detection by predators. When they sit very still in a bush or
tree, they look just like the plant they're sitting on. If by
chance they're attacked by a predator, the insects can still
defend themselves by kicking out with their sharp, spiny legs.
The Malaysian walkingstick is also known by the more exotic name
"jungle nymph." It is the Asian cousin of the walkingsticks we
find here in Missouri.