A mind-boggling puzzle found in nature may require an especially good pair of eyes to solve.
An optical illusion hides a cricket surrounded by dried leaves.
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You may have excellent eyesight if you can spot the cricket in this puzzle (photo) Credit: Getty
Robert Oelman captured the image in the wild, leading to a terrifying search for the cricket.
“This is a male T. bolivari that is much smaller than the female. Order Orthoptera and family Tettigoniidae,” Oelman said.
“The male has a radical wing design where the ‘eaten’ area (underneath) reaches the wing’s midvein.
“This fact creates a limitation in its ability to fly, but also a fantastic imitation of dead, decaying leaves,” he added.
The animal was hiding in a visible place among the leaves.
It appeared to be part of the bushes because of its color and the shape of its wings.
The creature is among many other species of wild animals that develop a clever way of camouflage.
Variations of what look like little walking leaves can be found all over the world.
The species comes from the Typophyllum family, which can show a light green shade like a fresh leaf.
According to the study, many of the creatures evolved this appearance due to “predator pressure.”
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“In response to predation pressure, some insects have developed spectacular plant-mimicking strategies (homomorphy), including important changes in their morphology.
“The fossil record of plant mimicry provides clues about the importance of predatory pressure in the deep past.
“Surprisingly, to date, the oldest confirmed records of insect leaf mimicry are from the Mesozoic,” the study said.
According to the USGS, the Mesozoic Period was 252-66 million years ago — when dinosaurs walked the earth.
If you’re still having trouble finding the prehistoric cricket, try looking in the middle of the photo.
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The camouflaged creator is a male T. bolivari, which can easily blend in with the foliage (stock photo)Credit: copyright2014 Robert Oelman
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education