It's a Leaf...No, a LEAF BUG!!! (9/22/2010)

The other day when Mommy was getting ready to take us to school, I noticed a leaf sitting on our driveway.  I was just about to step on it when Mommy told me to stop because I would hurt it.  Now, as I pointed out in my last blog, Mommy has overextended herself just a little, so I seriously thought she was losing it.  I mean, how can you hurt a leaf?!  But I figured I’d give her the benefit of the doubt and see what was up this this “leaf.”  Turns out, she was right. (Really, I think this is the first time she’s every been right because we all know that I’m always right.)  It wasn’t your ordinary leaf.  It was a bug that looked like a leaf.  A LEAF BUG!  Look for yourself:
See…it looks like a leaf…BUT…
 See!!  He’s really a cool looking BUG!!!!
Mommy and I came back in and did a little reskerch on my new friend.  We learned that you can keep leaf bugs as pets.  No…I do not have a leaf bug as a pet.  We learned this little tidbit after Mr. Leaf Bug had wandered away.  Plus Daddy is always saying that there will be another pet in this house over his dead body…and seeing as Daddy’s still alive and kicking…

Anyway, we also learned that Mr. Leaf Bug loves to eat plants and that his favorite food is Koala food.  He doesn’t like to eat bugs, but it’s not uncommon to find him nibbling on his friend’s back because the leaf bug disguise is just that good!!

The animal that likes to eat them most is spiders.  But spiders don’t like to eat leaves so Mr. Leaf Bug’s leaf camouflage is a good thing.  If a spider does try to go after it, Mr. Leaf Bug likes to roll over on his back and play like he’s dead.  That’s really cool!
Another cool thing is his legs.  If Mr. Leaf Bug loses a leg when he is a kid, he can grow it back!  But, if he loses a leg when he’s a grown up, that leg’s never coming back.
Well, there you have it.  Your science lesson for the day.  Hope you liked it!!