An international research team, including the University of Gottingen, has described seven previously unknown species of leaf insects, also known as walking leaves.
The insects belong to the class of stick and leaf insects, which are known for their unusual appearance: they look confusingly similar to plant parts such as branches, bark, or, in the case of leaf insects, leaves.

This complex camouflage provides excellent protection against predators and is a challenge for scientists.
Thanks to genetic analysis, scientists have discovered "mysterious species" that cannot be distinguished by appearance alone. The findings are important not only for the systematic study of leaf insects but also for the conservation of their diversity. The results were published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.

The results were published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
In leaf insects, taxonomy or species naming, description and classification are difficult because it can be difficult to distinguish members of different species from one another while allowing for significant differences within a single species.
"Individuals of different species are often considered to belong to the same species based on their appearance. We were able to identify only a few new species based on their genetic characteristics,” explained project leader Dr. Sarah Bank-Aubin from the Department of Animal Evolution and Biodiversity at the University of Gottingen.

In the past, some individual insects from India were thought to belong to a species widespread in Southeast Asia. But now scientists have discovered that it is a completely new species of leaf beetle. Bank-Aubin emphasized: "The finding is important for the conservation of species: if all individuals become extinct in India, it is not only a group within a species that shrinks, as previously thought. In fact, an entire individual species is wiped out. That means it's especially important to protect Indian species."

Other recently discovered species are from the Philippines, Borneo, Vietnam, and Java.
Researchers from the University of Gottingen collaborated with Royce Cumming, a leading expert on leaf insects at the City University of New York. The identification of more than twenty new species is the result of this research collaboration.

Dr. Sven Bradler, who has studied the evolution of stick and leaf insects for more than 20 years at the University of Gottingen, explained: "There are approximately 3,500 species of stick and leaf insects, and only a little over 100 species have been described. Although they represent only a small part of the diverse family of insects, their spectacular and unexpected appearance makes them unique.