FLAG-FOOTED BUG

Ostentatious body parts are costly to maintain, so there needs to be at least one good reason to have them. In the case of the eye-catching appendages sported by flag-footed bugs, there are two. Not only are these ‘flags’ paraded by males during courtship, but they also serve as decoys for both sexes, diverting an assailant’s attention from the body. Should a predator seize one, the bug can jettison the whole leg, much like a lizard sheds its tail. But there’s little point in surviving if you can’t then attract a mate, which might explain why males are less willing than females to make the sacrifice.