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our story begins with a seed
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an ant
and a leaf
or does it
each one of these is a phase in the life
of the same creature
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the australian walking stick
deep in the forests of eastern australia
a seed drops from the canopy above
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foraging ants carry it down to their
underground burrow
they snack on the nutritious cap leaving
the rest intact
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but this seed is a knockoff
it's actually an australian walking
stick insects egg
here it is next to a real seed the ants
also brought into the nest
the delicious part of this real seed is
called the eliaso and the same part on
the egg is called the capitulum
it's an evolutionary strategy to get
that egg underground
why
ant-ness are just the right humidity for
the developing egg
and are well protected from parasites
and predators
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several months later the egg hatches
underground and a stick insect nymph
emerges from the nest
it runs looking for safety in the
foliage above
it has taken on a new disguise as a
redheaded spider ant
not only does it look a lot like the ant
it also moves like one
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and even strikes a pose like the ant
curling its abdomen
looking and acting like an ant may save
this nymph's life
predators tend to steer clear of ants
ants swarm sometimes they bite and sting
and most worker ants aren't all that
nutritious
on top of that red-headed spider ants
taste like rotten coconut or bad cheese
these birds take a hard pass
upon closer inspection the disguise
doesn't really hold up
but hey it gets the job done
and it doesn't need to last long the red
on the australian walking stick's head
fades in just a few days
so the nymph races upwards into the
trees
after about a month the insect begins to
change yet again
it will molt six times perfecting its
final costume as it grows into an adult
that frenetic ant energy gives way to a
gentle swaying like a leaf in the breeze
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nothing to see here predators
the insects graze all day mostly on
eucalyptus leaves plumping up and
growing as long as your palm
adults vary in color some even take on
the green ruffled shape of a lichen
you might think it'd be hard to find
each other with all this camouflage but
they communicate with pheromones so no
problem
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sometime after mating the female lays
her eggs and the cycle begins again
the fake seed and pretend ant phases are
more than just protection from parasites
and predators
since adult australian walking stick
insects don't actually walk much they
rely on seed collecting ants to disperse
their eggs throughout the forest
then it's up to their zippy and
impersonating offspring to help them
spread out even further
the australian walking stick insect has
evolved so many looks it almost seems
like it's having an identity crisis
but just because you can shape-shift
from one form to another and another
doesn't mean you don't know exactly what
you are
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hey who loves ants fungus farming double
crossing baby stealing ants here's a
playlist of our most excellent episodes
for you
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