Diapheromera fermorata
Mark Moran
The Northern Walkingstick
is our most common "stick insect," which camouflages itself
to look like a stick. Northern Walkingsticks
grow over 3 1/2 inches long, with males being smaller than
females. Walkingsticks have long, skinny bodies which
closely resembles twigs or stems of plants. Males are brown,
females are greenish-brown. These insects have very long
antennae, about 2/3 the length of their bodies. Northern Walkingsticks
live in forests where their host plants are
found. livingthings.narod.ru
Mark Moran
James Solomon, USDA
Forest Service Northern Walkingsticks
feed on the leaves of many deciduous trees, including: oaks,
Sassafras, Black Cherry, and Black Locust. They also eat
clovers. Adult walkingsticks mate
in the fall. Females drop eggs, one at a time, from the
treetops. Eggs overwinter in leaf litter, and nymphs hatch
the following Spring. Walkingstick nymphs look
like tiny adults and are only a few millimeters long when
they are born. The nymphs wait until nightfall, then crawl
up onto small plants. They continue to eat and grow, staying
amongst leaves and twigs where they are well hidden. As they
get bigger, they climb higher, until they are in the tops of
tall trees. Nymphs molt (shed their
exoskeletons) as they grow. Each time they molt, they look
more and more like an adult. In late Summer and early Fall,
when they are full grown, walkingsticks mate and lay
eggs. Northern Walkingstick
eggs are small and look like black and white
beans. One species of ant
carries eggs underground and eats a small part of the egg.
The eggs still hatches normally, and is actually protected
by the ants. Cedric's Insect
Page
James Solomon, USDA Forest Service