Q: My son and I were walking in the woods recently and we came upon a walking stick. He was full of questions. What can you tell me about them?

A: These insects belong to the insect order Phasmida. All of the species are chewing insects which feed on the leaves of plants. The name “walkingstick” comes from their thin, slender body forms. They look like slender twigs or branches mimicking where they live, which helps them hide from predators. In addition, glands located on the thorax of many species can produce a foul-smelling liquid that repels predators.

Walkingsticks are slow moving, wingless, with long, slender legs and thread-like antennae. They vary in color from green to brown and may grow to be almost 4 inches long to almost 7 inches long (Megaphasma dentricus), the longest insect in the United States! The seed-like eggs are dropped singly onto the ground, sometimes from great heights where they may remain dormant for more than a year before hatching.

In our area, walkingsticks are seldom abundant enough to cause injury to their host plants. When attacked by a predator, the legs of some phasmids may separate from the body. Some species can even regenerate lost legs at the next molt. These are the only insects able to regenerate body parts. Host plants include apple, basswood, birch, dogwood, hackberry, hickory, locust, oak, pecan and wild cherry.

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