Two-striped Walkingsticks
| Additional Insect Resources Types of Insects |
Most of the dozen or so species have long, thin, brown or green bodies that help them blend into their environment.
The Two-striped Walkingstick (Anisomorpha buprestoides), a native Southeast resident shown in the top picture, bucks that general trend. It sports a colorful orange or yellow body.
Caution is advised in their presence. As a defence mechanism that spray a caustic chemical that is known to cause sever pain if it hits the eyes.
The picture also shows the size disparity between genders, with females substantially larger than males.
Giant Walking Sticks (Megaphasma denticrus) are the longest insects native to the United States, with females reaching seven inches in length.
© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels