Leaf-Winged Shrimpfly (Garidopteryx phyllomorpha)

The shrimpfly is a crustacean adapted to live on land. Its most remarkable feature is, as the name suggests, the leaf-mimicking pair of wings. Though not very aerodynamic, allowing for only clumsy and quick flights, its great for camouflage.

The Shrimpfly’s hind pair of wings is translucent and can be mostly hidden behind the first pair. When the animal is threnated, it can quickly flash them to scare potential predators with the eye spots.

Its body is mottled and patterned so as to mimic the mossy bark of trees, making it almost invisible among dead branches. Different populations of Leaf-Winged Shrimpfly have different patterns and colorations to better disappear into their respective surroundings.

The mantis-like raptorial appendages are used to quickly grab unsuspecting prey like small insects that wonder too close, while the sharp mouthparts make quick work of its meals. —————————————————————————————————-

This is the fourth organism out of six that I created for a very cool ongoing project created byTyler Rhodes! It’s based around teaching evolution to kids in a very creative way, and I was one of the artists tasked with bringing some children doodles to life. Stay tuned for the others throughout this week! My Patreons got to see these creatures before anyone else! If you enjoy my work and would like to see sketches, step-by-step process, exclusive content and even earn a print or commission, consider supporting me on Patreon!

