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| leaf-insect |
The leaf-insects are tropical species of the family Phasmidae, which is represented in temperate climates by the walking-stick. They are so called because of the remarkable resemblance of their wings to leaves, not only in color but also in the arrangement of the veins, etc., so that the natives believe that the leaf-insects are really leaves which have acquired organs of locomotion, digestion, etc. Their legs also look more or less like twigs, and their eggs, which are dropped upon the ground from the foliage where the insects feed, look very much like seeds. When leaf food fails these insects eat one another's wings. This likeness is of use as a protection from enemies.
