conorflynn's Favorites

nymph fiddling

I moved this little nymph from its large green home (an Iboza leaf), across the drive to a safer spot. Onto a blooming bright orange Tecomaria flower. I had before observed a pink nymph on such a flower and wanted to see if this fellow would change colour. Not a chance! By the next day he'd climbed off the flower and found another large green home about 20cm away (as the nymph climbs down then up), an about-to-bud blue Plectranthus. He might have been disturbed by a giant, relatively, Leaf-footed Bug which are commandeering the emerging Tecomaria flowers, but I won't fiddle with his obvious preference again.

Whether he can change colour is thus moot.

Of interest in these latest shots, taken sequentially a couple of seconds apart, is his defense response. In the first pic, his pale face is looking at me (doubtless thinking, "Hell the bugger's going to move me again!"). I then gently tickled the underside of his leaf and his head instantly snapped around, antennae flailing, to show me the black "face" behind his head.