How did the leaf insect's camouflage evolve to be so perfect?

As seen in this excerpt from Evolution: "Darwin's Dangerous Idea," the camouflage that works so well atop a green leaf would render the mantis easy prey in a different setting. Biologist Chris ... An astonishing number of insects have evolved survival mechanisms that involve mimicry, camouflage, and disguise. read more

In camouflage, the shape and outline of the animal merge with the background so it's not recognizable. Similar to camouflage is disguise, in which the entire insect looks like a specific object, like a leaf or a twig that predators overlook. read more

susu.exp wrote: It´s worth noting that bugs are insects belonging to the Hemiptera, whereas leaf insects belong to a group called Euphasmida. They are distantly related, but their most recent common ancestor was at the base of the Neoptera. read more

Insects that Mimic Predators. It’s truly remarkable how a species can evolve into such a perfect form. One wonders how the intermediate evolutionary steps between an ordinary bug and a near-perfect imitation of another species could have offered any competitive advantage. There are several possible answers: 1. A freak mutation (seems very unlikely). read more