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Wonder of Science (wonderofscience@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 18-Jan-2024 20:21:56 JST Wonder of Science

The astonishing camouflage of the Indian leafwing butterfly (Kallima paralekta) mimics a dead leaf, complete with veins and a stem.
Video credit: ra_fus/flickr
Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kallima_paralekta
In conversation about 10 months ago from mastodon.social permalink
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1. A dead leaf on a tree trunk is revealed to be a butterfly when it opens its colorful wings, whose upper surfaces are deep blue with orange bands.
2. Kallima paralekta
  
  Kallima paralekta, the Indian leafwing or Malayan leafwing, is a species of brush-footed butterfly of the genus Kallima. Despite its common names, it is not found in India or Malaysia, but is endemic to Java and Sumatra of Indonesia. Like other members of its genus, it is remarkable for its strong resemblance to a dead leaf when its wings are folded. It was one of the species encountered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in his travels in maritime Southeast Asia. It is mentioned in his famous 19th-century work The Malay Archipelago as one of the best examples of protective camouflage achieved through natural selection. Taxonomy Kallima paralekta is classified under the genus Kallima (oakleafs) of the tribe Kallimini, subfamily Nymphalinae in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. It is the type species of the genus Kallima. The species contains two subspecies, Kallima paralekta paralekta and Kallima paralekta tribonia. The male of the species was first described as Paphia paralekta by the American physician...
- Jonathan Mesiano-Crookston (jmcrookston@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 18-Jan-2024 22:55:45 JST Jonathan Mesiano-Crookston
  in reply to
  
  @wonderofscience
  Every time I see one of these videos I'm always hoping at the end of one of them it'll be the tree that gets up and flies away.
  
  In conversation about 10 months ago permalink
- Joannne (victoriayoutube@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 20:41:58 JST Joannne
  in reply to
  
  @wonderofscience I need a sugar daddy
  
  In conversation about 10 months ago permalink

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