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Moss mimic stick insect

Trychopeplus laciniatus

Description:

One of the most amazing, mind blowing and camouflaged insects I have ever seen. it's body and legs has leaf/lichen like appendages growing out of it, check out the last 2 pics to see how well it blends in.

Habitat:

pacific coast rainforest

Notes:

The only reason I spotted this was because it was on a leaf moving its body back and forth in a swaying motion. I'm not sure what it was doing but it made it much easier to spot. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Thankfully the insect was very calm and stayed very still even when it was on my hand. Spotted in San Cipriano forest reserve.

1 Species ID Suggestions

Harsha Singh
Harsha Singh 10 years ago
Moss mimic stick insect
Trychopeplus laciniatus , Trychopeplus laciniatus moss mimic stick bug


Sign in to suggest organism ID

128 Comments (1–25)

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 5 years ago

Thanks a lot Ann, Felix, Graham and WilliamsFamily!

AnnHarris
AnnHarris 5 years ago

Spent countless hours in the rain forest there and have never seen that little guy! GOOD EYE!!! Nice shot too!

The GeoDex
The GeoDex 5 years ago

Man phasmids sure are amazing insects.

Graham Monroe
Graham Monroe 6 years ago

That is really an incredible creature!

Felix Fleck
Felix Fleck 7 years ago

That's fantastic!

AnnHarris
AnnHarris 7 years ago

I had NO CLUE these things existed! I wonder how many I've accidentally gathered on a moss gathering trip. I will be paying a lot more attention now!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 8 years ago

Thanks Mark! You must have missed it when it was making the rounds.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 8 years ago

Just found this crazily good spotting Dan. Extraordinary.

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 8 years ago

Thanks Gavin and outdoor-learning.

wow that's insane! great find!

GavinCole2
GavinCole2 8 years ago

What kind of demonspawn is this :D I'm joking, it's kinda cute

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 8 years ago

Nope, not kidding! Thanks Muckpuk.

Muckpuk
Muckpuk 8 years ago

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!
That is amazing!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 9 years ago

Thanks armadeus and amjensen.

amjensen080
amjensen080 9 years ago

What an incredible find!

armadeus.4
armadeus.4 9 years ago

That is just freakin' amazing!!! Wow!

crazeeeykins
crazeeeykins 9 years ago

It sure was but nothing compared to your moss mimic!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 9 years ago

Yeah, it needs the wind to work. Sounds like a great find in SA.

crazeeeykins
crazeeeykins 9 years ago

I didn't see your full write-up when I commented last time. The movement you described is typical to stick insects. Maybe it mimics blowing in the wind? It doesn't work if there's no wind though!

I was in South Africa and saw a piece of dried grass moving like a stick insect. If it wasn't for the movement I wouldn't have even known it wasn't dried grass. It looked exactly the same as the dried grass next to it!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 9 years ago

Thanks crazeeeykins.

crazeeeykins
crazeeeykins 9 years ago

I didn't know these existed. So cool! I used to keep stick insects as a chid.

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 10 years ago

Yup, that's the idea Hazel and it works pretty well! Gotta love nature!

HazelMarley
HazelMarley 10 years ago

Oh my gosh it looks like a stick covered in moss!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 10 years ago

Hahaha! Yes! Thanks RawrWildie.

ILoveAnimals
ILoveAnimals 10 years ago

This is too cool to handle

Dan Doucette
Spotted by
Dan Doucette

Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Spotted on Jan 21, 2013
Submitted on Apr 5, 2013

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