Insects

Orthoptera

unidentified Peruvian bush-cricket

Manu, Peru - December 2008

This female bush-cricket/katydid is using its sharp ovipositor to make an incision in the outer waxy surface of the leaf to lay its egg in the soft, fleshy interior. This is an adventageous strategy as it hides the eggs from predators and, when the larvae hatch, they have easier access to a more nourishing food supply than the inedible outer surface of the leaf.