Giant leaf insect, Walking leaf insect, Leaf mimic insect
Phyllium giganteum
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Range and habitat:
Found in Malaysian tropical forests.
Natural diet:
Plant leaves of various types. In captivity, they feed on oak and bramble leaves.
Size / weight range:
Five to possibly seven inches long.
Interesting Fact:
Males are very rarely seen. Females are able to reproduce through parthenogenesis, where they can lay fertile eggs without a male. Their camouflage is one of the best systems in nature – not only does their body have leaf “veins”, some of them develop brown edges that mimic a damaged real leaf.
Common in some tropical forest areas, not endangered.
Location at The Toledo Zoo:
The Crawlspace exhibit, located in the Museum of Science
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