Phyllium Giganteum - Giant Walking Leaf

I got many more angles and closeups to share later, but here's a first body shot of a specimen of Phyllium Giganteum.

The leafs are from our garden, not neccesarily the ones it is found on in the wild. Needless to say, the camouflage of this insect is extremely convincing, even more so if you consider it would typically be found in dense forests.

Ironically, it feeds on leafs itself, and may sometimes get a bite out of itself by unsuspecting other leaf feeders. When it is under attack, intentionally or not, it generally plays dead. It doesn't have the speed to escape and stays within character until the very end.

Having worked with this specimen for a day, I just can't get over how flat it is.