Wednesday 12 November we will have about 12 students and teachers from The Industry School. It would be appreciated if we could get more FEP volunteers to engage with and to help these eager volunteers to identify the problem plants this Wednesday as they go about removing weeds and destroying the lantana. Engagement with students also provides an exciting opportunity for us share our commitment to help protect native bushland with the next generation as they are getting ready to start their careers. We are at Echo Valley South Park most Wednesdays from 9am. If you would like to join us, please contact Greg Lukes 0428 288 077 or glukes@bigpond.com
We found this Spiny Leaf insect (Extatosoma tiaratum) in Echo Valley South Park. This amazing insect was on some pavonia and it was hard to distinguish it from the leaves of the plant as it was swaying in the breeze. The tail was curved over its body looking like another leaf on top.
Extatosoma tiaratum makes use of both passive and active camouflage. It adopts a curved pose when it hangs inverted amongst foliage with “its highly procryptic abdomen curled over its back.” Individual Extatosoma tiaratum vary in colour and appear brown, mottled brown, green, reddish, cream, yellowish, or entirely white.
Like many stick insects, Extatosoma tiaratum actively sways back and forth or side to side when disturbed or when there is a gust of wind, with a frequency distribution like foliage rustling in the wind. The swaying behaviour may be motion crypsis, preventing detection by predators, or motion masquerade, promoting misclassification (as something other than prey), or a combination of the two.
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