I’ve not been able to find out anything about the star of today’s world wildlife Wednesday post but I know one thing for sure – it’s a master of disguise!

It’s a Coconut grasshopper (Pseudophyllanax imperialis) and I encountered it while on a brief holiday in the seaside town of Kep in Cambodia. Apparently, it’s one of the largest species of grasshopper in the world and can be found in other coconut-growing locations, like New Caledonia, in the Pacific.

I’m not sure in what ways it’s associated with coconut trees because its patterning and colouration make it look more like the leaf of an ordinary tree rather than the palm fronds of a coconut. Mind you, those jaws look like it could quite easily crack open a coconut. Though it looks rather fierce, these grasshoppers are harmless to humans, otherwise I wouldn’t have had it sitting on my hand!