10 Amazing Facts About Stick Insects...
Stick insects are part of the order Phasmatodea (also known as phasmids and walking sticks)
and are most often found in subtropical tropical habitats—when you can find them, that is.
These amazing bugs are hard to spot because they look so much like twigs—until those
twigs get up and walk away, that is.
1. Stick Insects Can Regenerate Limbs.
Should a bird or other predator grab hold of its leg, a stick insect can still make
an easy escape. Using a special muscle to break it off at a weak joint, the imperiled
insect simply sheds the leg in a defensive strategy is known as autotomy. Juvenile stick
insects regenerate the missing limb the next time they molt. In some cases, adult stick
insects can even force themselves to molt in order to regain a lost leg.
2. Stick Insects Can Reproduce Without Males.
Stick insects are a nation of Amazonians, able to reproduce almost entirely without
males, using a process known as parthenogenesis. Unmated females produce eggs that when mature,
become female stick insects. When a male does manage to mate with a female, there's only
a 50/50 chance that the offspring of that union will be male. A captive female stick
insect can produce hundreds of all-female offspring without ever mating. In fact, there
are species of stick insects for which scientists have never found any males.
3. Stick Insects Even Act Like Sticks.
Stick insects are so named for their effective camouflage among the woody plants where they
feed. They're typically brown, black, or green, with thin, stick-shaped bodies that help them
blend in as they perch on twigs and branches. Some stick insects exhibit lichen-like markings
to make their camouflage more authentic but to make the disguise complete, stick insects
imitate twigs swaying in the wind by rocking back and forth as they move.
4. Their Eggs Resemble Seeds.
Stick insect mothers aren't the most maternal. While some stick insects females actually
make an effort to hide their eggs—sticking them to leaves or bark or placing them in
the soil—they typically drop eggs randomly on the forest floor, leaving the youngsters
to whatever fate befalls them. Don't be so quick to judge mama stick insect, though.
By spreading her eggs out, she lessens the chance of predators finding and eating all
of her offspring at once. It's also helpful that the eggs resemble seeds, so carnivorous
predators are less likely to take a closer look.
5. Nymphs Eat Their Molted Skin.
After a nymph has molted, it's vulnerable to predators until its new cuticle darkens
and hardens. The castoff skin nearby is a dead giveaway to enemies so the nymph quickly
consumes the shriveled exoskeleton to get rid of the evidence, simultaneously recycling
the protein it took to create the discarded layer at the same time.
6. Stick Insects Aren't Defenseless.
Stick insects aren't venomous but if threatened, one will use whatever means necessary to thwart
its attacker. Some will regurgitate a nasty substance to put a bad taste in a hungry predator's
mouth. Others reflex bleed, oozing a foul-smelling hemolymph from joints in their body. Some
of the large, tropical stick insects may use their leg spines, which help them climb, to
inflict some pain on an enemy. Stick insects may even direct a chemical spray, much like
tear gas, at the offender.
7. Their Eggs May Attract Ants.
Stick insect eggs that resemble hard seeds have a special, fatty capsule called a capitulum
at one end. Ants enjoy the nutritional boost provided by the capitulum and carry the stick
insect eggs back to their nests for a meal. After the ants feed on the fats and nutrients,
they toss the eggs onto their garbage heap, where the eggs continue to incubate, safe
from predators. As the nymphs hatch, they make their way out of the ant nest.
8. Not All Stick Insects Stay Brown.
Some stick insects can change color, like a chameleon, depending on the background where
they're at rest. Stick insects may also wear bright colors on their wings but keep these
flamboyant features tucked away. When a bird or other predator approaches, the stick insect
flashes its vibrant wings, then hides them again, leaving the predator confused and unable
to relocate its target.
9. Stick Insects Can Play Dead.
When all else fails, play dead, right? A threatened stick insect will abruptly drop from wherever
it's perched, fall to the ground, and stay very still. This behavior, called thanatosis,
can successfully discourage predators. A bird or mouse may be unable to find the immobile
insect on the ground or prefer living prey and move on.
10. Stick Insects Are the World's Longest.
In 2008, a newly discovered stick insect species from Borneo broke the record for the longest
insect (which had previously been held by another stick insect, Pharnacia serratipes).
The Chan's Megastick, Phobaeticus chani, measures an incredible 22 inches with legs extended,
with a body length of 14 inches. What do you think about these interesting facts?Please
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