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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

No Ordinary Leaf


I was doing yard work the other day and almost missed this handsome creature, so beautifully disguised as a leaf. He's known as a katydid. The katydid didn't appreciate my attention and tried to move behind the palm frond.


But I redirected him front and center to pose for this close-up. His legs had a lot of purple, a color that works very well with green (and a combination I use with great success in my own living room). It's also interesting to note that his antennae are segmented into varying purples and blues, almost like holiday beadwork. Nature has the most wonderful palettes!


I didn't mind the katydid enjoying a little snack — the palm fronds here are plentiful.
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15 comments:

  1. Quite an amazing creature. His natural camouflage reminds me of the walking sticks that I used to see in Ohio, and then was surprised to also see in Taiwan.

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  2. Hi Mark, What a special post. Great photographs. You're right, Nature is the best Artificer of them all.

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  3. Hello Mark:
    What a master of camouflage the little green 'hopper' is. As you say, Nature has the most seductive of colour palettes when investigated in detail and your garden friend is absolutely no exception. Pity about the palm leaves, though!

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  4. Hello, Parnassus - It is interesting to see the same animals at different spots around the globe. I've lived around geckoes on Okinawa and in Florida, and I've grown rather fond of them. The smaller green geckoes of Florida are being overtaken now by bigger, darker ones that have come from Cuba.

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  5. Hi, Gina - I guess I shouldn't be, but I'm continually surprised by the intense colors in our everyday insect friends; we only have to look more closely.

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  6. Hello Jane and Lance - It's good to have you back! Any damage to the palm fronds is minimal - the palms shed and grow new fronds all through the year.

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  7. Mark I have seen walking sticks and little frogs that change color like chameleons to adapt. This is an amazing little guy though!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  8. Camouflage, nature's hide and seek. I love this post, Mark. What a beautiful insect.

    How perceptive of you to have noticed him.

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  9. Hi, Karena - The interesting thing about him is that he flew away — which I did not expect — and then blended in with the grass!

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  10. Hi, Yvette - What I love about this grasshopper is that he not only is colored like a leaf, but perfectly shaped like one, too. And did you notice that hisouter body is veined like a leaf as well?

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  11. Yes, I did, Mark. It is an incredible detail. Fastidious, almost.

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  12. I didn't know what a katydid looks like. I've always noted references to them in books, but never seen photos. I don't think we have them here in Ontario. The leaf-like wings would make this character a delightful creature to show a child.

    How easy it is, in this modern world, to overlook such wonders of nature. Thanks for guiding us to take the time.

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  13. Hi, Terry - This was the first katydid I saw close-up. The beauty of digital cameras is that I was better able to appreciate the katydid's detail long after he flew away. (He found the photo session a little too intrusive.)

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  14. I agree Mark, Mother Nature is the best designer and role model for colour combinations. Lovely insect, reminds me of a grasshopper.
    Anyes
    XX

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  15. Hi, Anyes - Grasshoppers, crickets and katydids all belong to the same family. One thing interesting about katydids is that they have auditory organs on their front legs!

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