The orange oakleaf butterfly (Kallima inachus), native to tropical Asia, is well named. The underside looks exactly like a leaf when the butterfly closes its wings, and it has wet and dry season forms that mimic the leaves of each season.
The butterfly stands out when its wings are open.
Watch it become a leaf as it flutters in place.
We have leaf-like butterflies in North America, too. Click to see the ventral and dorsal sides of the goatweed leafwing (Anaea andria). It ranges from southeastern Arizona to southern Ohio.
(photos from Wikimedia Commons; click on the captions to see the originals. video from Red Cache World on YouTube)
Fantastic!
This is cool. I like the video because it plainly shows the 2 contrasting looks all wrapped up in one set of wings: decaying broken down leaf / beautiful clean lines bright design.
Nobody knows exactly how mimicry occurs.A great mystery.