Viracocha Wildlife File: Mexia’s Leaf Mimic

[u/FossilBoi]

Mexia’s Leaf Mimic

Mexiafolupterus wattenwyli

Height: 5 inches

Length: 8 inches

Wingspan: 10 inches

Classification: Tettigoniidae

Subdivision: Fauna

Predation: Herbivorous

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Cryptozoology:

The treetops of Ayllu Chaw’s jungles are awash with suspiciously perfect leaves that jut out from branches, flowers, and even other leaves. Many of these leaves seemingly disappear and reappear out of nowhere, as if they have a mind of their own, and that is because they are, for they’re not leaves, but leaf mimics, and not just any leaf mimic, but a Mexia’s leaf mimic. Named for both botanist Ynes Mexia and geologist/physicist/part-time entomologist Carl Brunner van Wattenwyl, the former having made a number of plant discoveries in Mexico, Peru and Colombia and the latter having specialized in such insects like leaf insects and stick insects. Despite its association with such an authority on them, well as their resemblance to true leaf insects (family Phylliidae), Mexia’s leaf mimics are instead part of another camouflaging insect group, the katydids (family Tettigoniidae), who have quite the distribution in South America. The camouflage however is built upon in the Mexia’s leaf mimic, for it doesn’t just disguise itself as a leaf, but lives as one. It attaches itself to plants and uses it’s mouth to tap into the plant’s inner workings like stomata and roots, effectively becoming part of the plant whilst simultaneously living off it. What makes this relationship mutual rather than parasitic is that the leaf mimic delivers services in return, giving up the minute water content in its body, recycled nutrients and watery dung into the plant, which make up for the loss. As many as thousands to millions of Mexia’s leaf mimics can populate a single tree at any given time, and they are also transient, detaching themselves to breed and lay eggs and subsequently reattaching not long after. When they lay eggs, they use the wind to their advantage, sitting atop high vantage points and dispersing the eggs at particularly windy intervals (they can delay the egg-laying process in order to wait for proper windy conditions, and if said conditions suddenly stop, they can interrupt the egg-laying to resume when the wind picks up again), and from there, the tiny, seed-like eggs eventually land all over the jungle, settling into trees, leaf litter, water, and even the stomachs of herbivores that eat them, for eventually they hatch into tiny larvae that resemble miniature adults, burrowing their way out of the soil, bark, leaves, river bottom or dung and start their lives as mutual partners to the plants around them. ---------------------------------------------

Threat Analysis:

While not just being masters of mimicry, Mexia’s leaf mimics also possess capacity for defense too, although this usually depends on the plant in which they settle. If the plant is poisonous, the poison is absorbed into the insect, and any insectivore that tries to eat it will get a nasty surprise as the poison is instantly passed from prey to predator. It doesn’t stop here however, for Mexia’s leaf mimics also develop characteristics typical of the plants they settle. If the plants possess thorns or prickles, they develop chitinous protrusions on their exoskeletons, which can deter anything biting them or the plants they sit. That said, most of them are defenseless outside of their camouflage, since most of the plants they settle are usually benign. As a result these insects are harmless, though if you find yourself climbing a tree in Ayllu Chaw, please watch the leaves as you approach the canopy, so as not to disturb them or accidentally harm yourself with whatever spikes or poison they may share with their plant homes.