Leaf Insects

 

I was ecstatically surprised when I saw this insect last year. I thought it was a leaf until it moved. I only realized it was an insect when I have a close look through a macro on my phone. I really don't have an idea to what kind of insect it was. I was amazed.

As a member of the iNaturalist community I was able to know what  insect it is.  A fellow iNaturalist, Royce T. Cumming who was working on revising  the Phylliidae for his PhD work at the American Museum of Natural History has asked me kindly to include the image that I took in the publication. 

I am greatly honoured to have contributed a piece of record that I found in my place to be part of a research article.  What makes it interesting and exciting is that, it is a first record  they have seen  from where I live, Cebu, Philippines. 

Though an undescribed species,   this record is a member of Family Phylliidae (Leaf Insects). Genus Cryptophyllium.  I hope that one day this particular finding will be identified.

For more readings on this publication, click  

Cryptophyllium, the hidden leaf insects - descriptions of a new leaf insect genus and thirteen species from the former celebicumspecies group (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae)

A year have passed and have not seen this kind, I am still hopeful that I can find it. 

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