Moss-and-Lichen Katydid: these katydids are covered in cryptic markings and textures that allow them to blend in with their mossy, lichen-covered habitat, and their wings even mimic the appearance of a twig
The katydids of this genus (Anaphidna) can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. They have cryptic features that mimic the mossy, lichen-covered environments in which they live -- their bodies are covered in green, brown, and white markings that are accented by bumpy, moss-like features, and their long, slender wings are usually held upward at a 45-degree angle in order to mimic the shape of a twig.
As this article notes:
These katydids fly well and probably live in the canopy, perhaps on trunks and mossy branches, where the camouflage should be particularly effective.
The moss-and-lichen mimic katydids of the group treated here are easily recognized by their long and slender wings held upward at an almost 45-degree angle. They live in rainforests of central and northern South America, with one species ranging southward to subtropical forest in NE Argentina.
Sources & More Info:
Journal of Orthoptera Research: The Group Paraphidniae, with Three New Species from Guatemala and Ecuador
iNaturalist: Genus Anaphidna
Zoosystematica Rossica: Review of the Neotropical Genus Paraphidnia
Orthoptera Species File: Anaphidna
