What is this bulbous patch of moss and lichen? Why does it wobble as if it’s caught in the wind? Wait, did it just poop? This up-close footage of a moving mossy twig is actually a camouflaged moth larva (Superfamily Tineoidea). It was filmed in Madagascar‘s Andasibe-Mantadia National Park by nature photographer David Weiller. He explains:
This debris-carrying bug larva has evolved the perfect camouflage defense to deter attacks from birds and other predators.
Weiller has filmed other masters of disguise, including this leaf-mimicking grasshopper and this lichen katydid.
Plus, observe more videos of camouflaged creatures on TKSST, including:
• Amazing camouflage of a leaf-like moth
• Giant Malaysian leaf insects
• Pharaoh cuttlefish expertly mimic hermit crabs
• Robust Ghost Pipefish camouflage
• Nature’s Masters Of Disguise at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
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