Dead Leaf Butterfly Wing

In the family Nymphalidae, the dead leaf butterflies (Kallima species) from Southeast Asia and East Africa get their common name from the uncanny resemblance of their wing undersides to dead plant leaves. So close is the mimicry, the wing pattern appears to feature "moldy spots of decay", a "midrib" for the "leaves," and the tail touches the twig and appears like a leaf stalk. Less distinct dark lines run obliquely from the center line towards the wings' margins, mimicking the veins of a leaf.