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Camouflage Insect Collection
When asked to give an example of camouflage some may think of a robber hiding in the shadows dressed in dark clothing, or military fatigues used to conceal soldiers. These are great examples, but the true masters of disguise are the insects around us that we do not see! Insects have been around for approximately 480 million years. Therefore, it is no surprise that they have had a lot of practice blending in with their environment.
What is the purpose of camouflage for an insect? The answer is simple… survival. Insects fall as primary prey on the food chain, and are eaten by many organisms including other insects. To avoid being eaten, many insects will hide from their predators in the form of crypsis.The giant swallowtail caterpillar, for example, looks like bird droppings when resting on a leaf or branch. Leaf and stick insects are by far the greatest deceivers and can mimic a leaf or stick on a branch without being detected. Amazingly enough, stick insects even go as far as to sway back and forth resembling the natural movement of a twig in the wind while leaf insects resemble leaves of all kinds…even dead ones!
Insect predators have their own way of blending in with their surrounding environment. Some don bright colors to attract unsuspecting prey to their demise. A great example is the orchid mantis which exhibits bright yellows, whites and pinks to mimic an orchid. They even go as far as to sit inside the flower and prey upon unsuspecting pollinators!
Understanding the amazing ways insects camouflage themselves is made easier with the BioQuipBugs teaching kit which includes 15 examples of some of the world’s greatest masters of disguise within the BioQuipBugs collection. This kit serves as an excellent teaching resource to highlight the diversity and resourcefulness of arthropods or as a great reference to personal collections.
Pinned specimen collections are sold in riker-style frames to protect the specimens while being handled, but still allow their easy viewing by students.
| Quality | A1- |
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$200.00 – $450.00
