When is a leaf not a leaf? When it’s got six legs and a face
Plenty of creatures use mimicry to conceal themselves from predators, but few are as wholly dedicated to the art of disguise as the giant Malaysian leaf insect (Phyllium giganteum). These clever copycats use protective resemblance to camouflage themselves as the leaves of the fruit plants they feast on, right down to their frayed, browning edges and – in the rare instances when a walk is necessary – employing a swaying gait to mimic the effect of a breeze. Part of KQED’s science documentary series Deep Look, this short video shows how these large insects deliver award-worthy method-acting performances, spending almost their entire lives in a single place doing their best fruit-leaf impression. You can read more about this video at KQED Science.
Video by KQED Science
Producer and Writer: Jenny Oh
Cinematographer: Josh Cassidy
Narrator and Writer: Lauren Sommer
videoBiology
Dive deep into an egg cell to see how ageing reboots when a new life begins
2 minutes
videoNature and landscape
Scenes from Aboriginal Australian pottery chart the turn of the seasons
7 minutes
videoMathematics
After centuries of trying, we’ve yet to arrive at a perfect way to map colour
20 minutes
videoHistory of science
Insect aesthetics – long viewed as pests, in the 16th century bugs became beautiful
8 minutes
videoLove and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes
videoEcology and environmental sciences
Join endangered whooping cranes on their perilous migratory path over North America
6 minutes
videoLanguage and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
videoAnimals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes
videoBiology
Butterflies become unrecognisable landscapes when viewed under electron microscopes
4 minutes