Skip to main content
Walking Leaf (Phyllium philippinicum)
Mimicry
77Six Legs
Bug Bite · From the file on Walking Leaf

Walking leaves don't just look like leaves — they have realistic vein patterns, simulated bite marks, and even spots that mimic fungal damage.

MuseumSmithsonian National ZooVerified by sources
Read the full file on Walking Leaf

More Mimicry bites

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)
Mimicry
Six Legs76

The wing tips of an atlas moth are shaped like a cobra's head — a mimicry believed to deter bird predators.

Atlas MothVerified by sources
Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Mimicry
Six Legs74

Wildlife agencies across Europe get thousands of 'hummingbird sightings' each year — almost all are this moth.

Hummingbird HawkmothVerified by sources
Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)
Mimicry
Six Legs79

The orchid mantis's legs have flat petal-shaped extensions that complete the flower illusion.

Orchid MantisVerified by sources
Chinese Giant Stick Insect (Phryganistria chinensis)
Mimicry
Six Legs74

Stick insects don't just look like twigs — many species sway gently when at rest, mimicking a stick in the wind.

Malaysian Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys dessicata)
Mimicry
Six Legs73

Dead leaf mantises mimic dry brown leaves — curled edges, simulated insect damage, leaf-vein patterns, the works.

Marmalade Hover Fly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Mimicry
Six Legs72

Hover flies look like wasps and bees but cannot sting — classic Batesian mimicry that fools predators.

Marmalade Hover FlyVerified by sources