#arddu

[bizarrobrain]

Octopods by Arddu

[animalworld]

FEATHER MANTIS Toxodera fimbriata © Arddu

3.5" or 85mm in length Endemic to Malaysia

More closely resembling a predatory walking stick than a mantis, this Toxodera species nevertheless has little in common with stick insects. Though it too spends much of its day motionless in nearly perfect camouflage, its motive is vastly more aggressive-striking out with blinding speed at nearly anything it can overpower. It is a supernal hunter, and like many of the arthropods it preys upon, thoroughly enigmatic.

Source: http://www.pheromonegallery.com/piece/110-Staff-Mantis-Study-%28SGO-21%29#view-details

Other posts:

Metallic Mantis

Spiny Flower Mantis

Gambian Spotted Eye Flower Mantis

[animalworld]

PHYLLIUM Leaf Insect from Borneo Phyllium pulchrifolium (male) ? ©Arddu

These are slow-moving herbivores and rely on their camouflage and forewings for defense from predators including birds, amphibians and reptiles. The females live from 4 to 7 months and males from 3 weeks to 1 month.

These leaf insects are found mainly in tropical areas and rainforests where adequate quantities of vegetation are available for consumption. It is widespread in Southeast Asia, in Borneo, China, India, Java, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra. It is also found in Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

The females lay beige-brown eggs. Incubation takes place from 5–7 months. Many times the eggs are not fertilized due to parthenogenesis. This is a form of asexual reproduction found in females, where growth and development of embryos occurs without fertilization by a male. If the eggs are fertilized then it takes 3–4 months for incubation, otherwise it takes 6 months for unfertilized eggs. Unfertilized eggs hatch out with females only, while fertilized ones may be either male or female. The female lays about 100 eggs at intervals of a few days.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllium_bioculatum

Other posts:

Spanish Walking Stick

Dead Leaf Butterfly

Children's Stick

[animalworld]

LONG-TONGUED NECTAR BAT Macroglossus minimus ©Arddu

The Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) is a species of megabat. M. minimus is one of the smallest species in the family Pteropodidae with an average length of 60 - 85 mm. They cover a large territory from Northern Thailand to Northern Australian.

They have a reddish brown colouring with relatively long hair compared to the other species. The hair on the abdomen is a lighter colour and there is a dark brown stripe running bilaterally down the top of the head and back.

Lives in small groups. Mangrove and banana flowers are among the sources of the nectar and pollens fed on by the species in Malaysia. They play a major role as pollinator of many trees and have been recorded in coastal mangrove, dipterocarp forest, and lower montane forest up to 1000 m.

Feeds on nectar and pollen. M. minimus was caught in Nypa and mangrove swamps, coconut and banana plantations, forest edges with banana clumps and shifting cultivation areas

Fact Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tongued_Nectar_Bat

Other photos you might like:

Bulldog Bat - Flight Pattern

Honduran White Fruit Bat

Flying Foxes

[animalworld]

Female SILK MOTH (Golden) Antheraea helferi borneensis ©Arddu

The Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the moths. They form a family of Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 described species worldwide. The Saturniidae include such Lepidoptera as the giant silkmoths, royal moths and emperor moths. The majority of saturniid species occur in wooded tropical or subtropical regions, with the greatest diversity in the New World Tropics and Mexico, though they are found all over the world.

Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antheraea_helferi

Other photos you may like:

Golden Emperor Moth

Luna Moth

Chinese Moon Moth

[animalworld]

CROWNED SLUG CATERPILLAR Lepidoptera: Limacodidae ©Arddu

Here's a beauty of a caterpillar. The crowned slug displays its spines like the feathered headpiece of a Vegas showgirl. The stinging setae line the crowned slug's perimeter, decorating its flattened, green body. Later instars may also be marked with colorful red or yellow spots along the caterpillar's back.

It is found in woodlands, from Florida to Mississippi, north all the way to Minnesota, southern Ontario, and Massachusetts.

It feeds on mostly oak, but also elm, hickory, maple, and a few other woody plants.

Fact Source: http://insects.about.com/od/butterfliesmoths/ig/Stinging-Caterpillars/Crowned-Slug-Caterpillar.htm

Other photos you may like:

Pale Tussock Caterpillar

Tufted Costa Rican Caterpillar

Hag Moth Caterpillar