PHASMIDA: STICK INSECTS
Definition
- The name stick-insect aptly describes the long body, with long legs. The antennae are relatively short. The adults are wingless.
- Mouthparts are of the chewing type.
- The life cycle is egg, larva looking like a small adult, and adult.
What they do & where they live
- They eat the leaves of particular foodplants, such as bramble.
- All the species living wild in Britain are made up of parthenogenetic females (capable of laying live eggs without fertilization by males).
- In Britain they are only found in frost-free, mild coastal areas of south-west Britain, such as the Scilly Isles.
Number of species
- Britain has no native species but 4 introduced ones have become established in the wild.
- Bacillus rossius, a European stick Insect, from the Mediterranian.
- Acanthoxyia gesisovii, Prickly stick Insect, from New Zealand.
- Acanthoxyia inermis, Unarmed stick Insect, from New Zealand.
- Clitarchus hookeri, Smooth stick Insect, from New Zealand.
- In Europe there are 3 species native in the Mediterranean.
- Worldwide there are 2,500 species, mainly tropical.
It's amazing One of the cunning means of camouflage is to look-like a twig or stick. Though there are moth caterpillars and other larval insects that have adopted this means of deception to avoid predators, there are not many large adult insects that use this camouflage whilst mobile.
