Scientists have discovered a tropical insect that can shift its color from bright hot pink to green in about two weeks. Researchers believe this dramatic transformation helps it resemble the young leaves of rainforest plants, which often start out pink before turning green. The discovery, reported this week in the journal Ecology , centers on arota festae , a leaf-mimicking katydid also known as a "bush cricket." This species is found in parts of Central and South America, including Panama, Colombia, and Suriname. A Rare Observation in Panama The unusual color change was first noticed when researchers found an adult female at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's field station on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. When she was initially seen under a light, her color was a striking hot pink. Just eleven days later, she had become fully green.…