The resemblance of an organism to some inanimate object in its environment so that it remains effectively ‘hidden’ from predators. Many insects have evolved particular shapes and colours so they resemble leaves, twigs, or other features of their natural surroundings, making it difficult for predators to detect them visually. For example, some larvae look like bird droppings, certain butterflies have very leaflike wings, while stick insects fully live up to their name. See also camouflage.