Many insects disguise themselves as something they are not for protection and survival. Some use camouflage comprised of colors and patterns to blend in. Others display warning colors to scare off predators. The latter three were accidentally introduced and later colonized by farmers as natural pest control. However, they do not know a good insect from a bad insect and destroy valuable fruit pollinators.
Some tropical mantids have bodies flattened and shaped like leaves.
Some resemble bird droppings, which attract filth-loving flies. This illusion attracts nectar-eating insects to their death. Insects depending on camouflage stay in one position for long periods of time. A bird following his dinner, the beautiful Indian dead-leaf butterfly, approaches a bush and dinner completely disappears. When the butterfly closes its wings and even to experts, it looks like a dead leaf when it is in its resting state.