[SPOTLIGHT] Masters of Camouflage
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.