no...

...not lunchtime tempura BUT the slough of a leaf insect!

How COOL is this.
All of a couple of centimetres in size and courtesy of J one of the morning walking buddies. She was standing at her car with a big smile and said' I have something to show you.'

J is hand rearing these little beauties at the moment, these from tropical Queensland, and tricky they are proving.
They hang from the underside of leaves and will take on the colour of the plant or look like a brown, dried leaf.
Growing to an average size of 10-14 cm (the largest are 25cm) junior still has a way to go.
J saw the slough happening and said within a very short time the next 'nymph' stage it is passing through was already twice this size, puffing up with the air.

Amazing...and if you look very hard at the image on the right,the little 'whiskery bits' (very scientific terminology) are even in tact.