The Walking Stick Insect

Description:

Females are elongated and about 80–100 mm in length, ranging from a light green to a darkish brown in colour. The front legs have red patches at the base of the forelegs, and similar but yellow patches on the mid-legs. Eggs are ovoid and brown, with a beige plug at one end. When the eggs hatch, the plug opens and dark, tiny, string-like young crawl out of the opening. The eggs are haploid.When disturbed, the major defence method is feigning death, the body becoming rigid, and the legs held along the line of the body. Other times, they may be found swaying to mimick the movement of foliage in wind. Feeding occurs at night, when the insects are active. During the day, they rest (often with legs in line with the body) on their food plants.