Hopper (nogondinidae) possibly Tonga spp.
Mimicry at its best. This adult hopper is a nogondinidae (possibly Tonga spp.) and does an amazing job of looking like a small leaf or thorn. He is also capable of propelling himself away from his branch and taking flight by using his powerful hind legs -- hence the name, hopper.
Pleasing fungus beetle (Erotylidae), Sarawak, Borneo
It is truly remarkable to see the similarity between two species on different sides of the globe (globes don't really have sides, but you know what I mean). In Virginia, we have a pleasing fungus beetle that's very similar looking.
Tortoise beetle larva, Sarawak
Tortoise beetle larva. (Cassidinae). The dark tower is poop. Tortoise beetles pile the stuff up their backs. Penance, perhaps.
Don't monkey with the durians. I found this as I was driving from Frazers Hill to Taman Negara. It has nothing to do with insects, but it made me think about the lack of real tigers in Malaysia. These are durian trees, and the tigers (there was one every 50 meters along the boundary of the plantation) are supposed to scare off marauding monkeys. Now back to insects...
Caterpillar of fruit piercing moth
Most caterpillars have some sort of defense. This guy will become a fruit-piercing moth and seems to have incorporated three forms of defense into his appearance: False eye patterns, a cryptic form that mimics a twig, and the "bird poop" pattern on his rear all have the potential to mislead a bird of a similar predator. Eudocima fullonia suspected.
Tiger beetles are insect predators and the fastest beetles on the planet. Most can fly, but they typically run down their prey. Researchers believe they run so fast that their brains cannot process the images relayed from their eyes. This renders them temporarily blind at times, and they need to stop to get their bearings. They are also exquisitely beautiful and often feature iridescent areas on their exoskeleton. I found this one at night in Sarawak. They will not sit still for a shot like this during the day.
I frequently see trap-jaw ants (the genus is Odontomachus) in Costa Rica, where they tend to be golden brown. This Malaysian beauty is much darker and sports some beautiful ornamentation on her head. Her jaws are in the relaxed "off" position. If she spreads them wide in the cocked position, tiny hairs on the jaw will cause them to slam shut if she bumps into a tiny insect.
Caterpillar (Doleschallia bisaltide).
This is the caterpillar of the Autumn leaf butterfly (Doleschallia bisaltide) -- a species that is widespread in SE Asia, Australia, and elsewhere. Doleschallia bisaltide. Caterpillars sometimes allow you to get really close before they curl their heads under their bodies.
Caterpillar, peninsular Malaysia
Hair defense!
This is a darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) from Sarawak. Here's what I wrote about him when I posted him on Instagram: The coloration on the individual beetle varies depending on the viewing angle and the lighting direction. This happens because the beetle's “shell” (exoskeleton) has many extremely thin layers. These layers are refractive — meaning they split white light in a similar manner to a prism. In addition, the different layers reflect different wavelengths of light. In this beetle, the dominant reflected wavelengths are those that produce purple and green. How does this adaptation benefit the beetle? When you walk in a rainforest you’ll see droplets of water clinging to leaves and branches — they are just about everywhere and reflect the colors that surround them. Researchers believe that insects with refractive exoskeletons are likely imitating water droplets in order to confuse potential predators.
On Frazers Hill I stayed at a place where the owner felt it appropriate to put out a powerful moth light at night to entertain his guests. Idiotically, he left it on all night, and in the morning the ground was littered with dead and dying moths. This is one of the giant Atlas moths that came to the light.