[SPOTLIGHT] Masters of Camouflage
Master of camouflage and swift, this mantis nymph was a challenge to capture. Mundubbera, QLD.
Tiny sand crab (4mm wide) hides among sand balls made by much larger crabs on the beach. Woodgate, QLD.
Tiny beach crab hides among the balls of sand created from digging tunnels. Woodgate Beach, QLD.
Beautifully camouflaged hunting spider carefully approaches the bug before deciding to equally carefully back away. Murarrie, QLD.
Scaly-winged bark louse hides very well on tree bark. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Issid hopper (Cotylana sp.) is very well camouflaged on tree bark. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Knobblye crab spider hides out in the open. Oxley Creek, QLD.
I've never seen a hairy bark louse! It was very small and very fast and impossible to see against the bark unless it moved. To get this photo I had to keep my eye on the spot I last saw it while I changed settings on my camera. Once I had the lens up to max magnification and found the right spot on the tree, this little critter came into view. It looks like it has a malformed or injured wing (the blurry bit sticking out towards the viewer) which didn't impede the incredible swiftness with which it navigated the rough bark. I was lucky to be watching the right bit of tree at the right time - I only saw it move twice. On a technical note, I have cropped and rotated this image 180ยบ because when I first saw it onscreen it seemed too confusing upside down. This is the best camo I've seen on any insect so far. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Bark lice nymphs stick together. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Gum Lanternfly (Eurinopsyche sp.) is the master of camouflage. Mundubbera, QLD.
Bugs hanging out in the knot of a tree, hoping to get some hot giggedy action. Sherwood, QLD.
Reminds me of my cat for some reason... Toowong, QLD.
Springtail has scales like a moth or butterfly. Less than 1mm in length, multitudes of these hexapods inhabit the grassy areas of a local park. Toowong, QLD.
Ant Lion reverses back into the dirt after it's sand trap is disturbed. It doesn't seem necessary to hide underground when you are this well camouflaged. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Ant lion backs away from it's prey after being disturbed by your truly. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Another marvel at camouflage, this leafhopper hides out in the open on a gum tree. Cambroon, QLD.
Also known as lantern flies because someone mistakenly thought they lit up when mating (according to wikipedia). Nymph on eucalypt. Cambroon, QLD.
This may not actually be the name of this fly but I think it's a fitting description. These flies are extremely hard to spot until they move. This photo doesn't show how effective that camouflage is. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Determined lacewing baby carries it's enormous load up the side of a timber railing. This stuff looks light weight but to lug it up a vertical surface? Good effort lacewing baby. Mt Ommaney, QLD.
Well camouflaged planthopper on a fence post. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Lacewing Larva Adjusts Camo Crud
Lacewing larva manipulates silk that seems to be used to hold together its camo crud. This camo includes plant matter and you can even see a couple of pollen filled flower stamens. Oxley Creek, QLD.
Well camouflaged mantis on a tree. Toowong, QLD.
Could this be an aquatic grasshopper type thing? I found quite a few along the banks of a creek and witnessed one emerging from the water. It could have accidentally jumped in, or do they enjoy a swim? This one seems to be missing a leg.
Mantis is well camouflaged among the dead twigs on a dead shrub. Mundubbera, QLD.