more articles like this

Walking Stick Bug
updated: Sep 26, 2012, 4:03 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

I found this on my front door this afternoon. We used to call them walking sticks--I don't know what its proper name is.

# # # #

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

PAMSB	2012-09-26 04:08 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea
COMMENT 324479	2012-09-26 04:26 PM
Looks like an Indian Stick insect, Carausius morosus. These insects have red markings where the front legs attach to the body.They are native to India but are popular here in the U.S. with schools and as pets. Unfortunately, they get released into the environment and are now established where they chew up plants like ivy, privet, bramble, camellia, pyracantha, rose, hawthorn, geranium, oak, hibiscus and azalea. They can breed and build up in large numbers and become a nuisance. Fortunately, they do not bite or are otherwise harmful to humans. They are pretty cool but not very pretty.
COMMENT 324530	2012-09-26 05:27 PM
Oh, if only I had a herd of these guys to chew up my neighbors' ivy! Can't count the hours and sweat I have expended, trying to keep ivy out of my yard. Invasive junk plant, that's ivy. I think these insects would starve around here, if they went in search of azaleas and hawthorn. Cool pic. I think this little guy is quite the looker, too.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:19 PM
Oh no! Ahh! Kill it! They are in the order Phasma something common name "Walking Stick" They are 100% herbivore and EAT plants like you've never seen. Host plants are IVY! Ivy everywhere! Ahhh! EEeek! I hate them. I thought they were so cute 6 years ago, did some research and they are VORACIOUS plant eater. About 99% of them are CLONES. The females CLONE themselves. They do NOT need to mate. They just Clone themselves. Now this isinteresting if we wanted an all female clone world, but its not if you have to look at the damage they cause. Guess how many Clones ONE female can make a year? 500. Times another 500. There are too many! No gestation period, just beep bop boop, ta da! 500 more of me! And they live 3 years! That one looks to be about a year old. And get this: people think they are so cute and keep them as pets! And sell the CLONES for $5 bucks each. No pesticide will work, the only natural predator are bluejays and MY FOOT!
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:20 PM
Nooo!
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 07:46 PM
Actually, there are some native to this part of the world. "A few walking stick species are native to California including the western shorthorned walking stick, Parabacillus hesperus, the gray walking stick, Pseudosermyle straminea, and species in the genus Timema. All of these species feed primarily on grasses and scrub brush—mostly woody shrubs—in dry wild areas and haven’t been reported as pests in landscapes. Adult females of the Indian walking stick can be readily distinguished from these species by the red markings at the base of their front legs" http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74157.h tml
COMMENT 324603	2012-09-26 07:51 PM
We have native ones, but they are hair sized, and I don't think anyone knows they are here. The big fatty ones are all over Texas. Every now and again, one of the big ones pass through the yard, but I don't think they last long....
COMMENT 324649P	2012-09-27 07:30 AM
Don't know if this one is a native or not. Schools used to use the "imported" ones for nature projects and this might be an escapee. The climate here isn't particularly friendly to the non-natives so they don't flourish.
COMMENT 325556	2012-09-28 04:59 PM
Call him Mister or Sir.

56% of comments on this page were made by Edhat Community Members.