Shield bug nymph

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A cool leaf-mimicking tesseratomid shield bug clings to a stem to endure the heavy rain on Flores Island. As we got drenched and dusk approached, earthworms 60 centimeters long washed out of their columnar burrows and it became difficult to pick out the small wonders like this mimetic bug. When I lit up the bug it revealed its lime green color, just the same tint as a sprouting leaflet, pronounced ridges on the tergites imitating leaf venation, and a corrugated border.

Photographed in situ [1]; focus stack of two images


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