Constructing an Outline on Your Own

Nature has a way of protecting insects through camouflage. That is, she provides special colorings and features for each insect depending upon where it lives. As insects blend in with their surroundings, they are not apt to be eaten or destroyed. Surely you have all seen insects known as "walking sticks." Those living in trees can easily be taken for a bunch of twigs. Others live in the grass and match the stems of grass, even turning lighter colors as the grass fades. Still others resemble the prickly stems of bushes to which they cling. Even the babies are protected by nature. Eggs are laid one at a time on the ground to be left there until spring when they hatch. The eggs are a grayish-green color like the ground in winter. Think about the caterpillars you have seen. Their thick fur coats assume many colors to harmonize with their surroundings. A covering of horns, humps, or spines also serve as camouflage. Humps can look exactly like the ragged edges of leaves upon which the caterpillars have been feeding. Spines permit some to be mistaken for pine needles on evergreens. Like the "walking sticks," "walking leaves" have a curious appearance. They are camouflaged from egg to maturity. When eggs are laid, they appear to be dried-up seeds. As the young hatch, they can easily be mistaken for the red buds on branches. Even their coloring is a beautiful red. When fully grown, their bodies change and are shaped like leaves. Their legs become flattened and resemble partly-eaten leaves. "Walking leaves" will even move their bodies back and forth to sway like the real leaves when the wind blows.