This episode of Backyard Bugs features one of Brody’s favorite insects, Walkingsticks (Phasmids). Did you know Brody first got the idea for Backyard Bugs with Brody after catching a Northern Walkingstick? Once you get familiar with these amazing insects, you’ll understand why.

Walkingsticks are very gentle and don’t bite. Once Brody was able to hold one, he was hooked. He would spend hours with the walkingsticks he finds around the house. Letting them sit on his head as he walked around the backyard.

While there are thousands of species of walkingsticks, there are only thirty species in North America. There are four species found in Missouri, where Brody lives, with the two most common being the northern walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) and the giant walkingstick (Megaphasma denticrus).

Walkingsticks, or stick insects, look like sticks that walk. The insects are camouflaged to look like small twigs, coming a range of colors from brown, tan, gray, or green. The insects are long and slender, don’t have wings, and all the legs are roughly the same length.

The northern walkingstick has antennae that are two-thirds the length of the body. Makes are typically brown and can be up to three inches long. Females are greenish brown and can be more than three and half inches long. Northern Walkingsticks have circi at the tip of the abdomen and are not segmented.

Adult walkingsticks are mostly nocturnal, feeding at night and resting during the day. The insects eat a wide variety of leaves but spend most of the time high up in trees. They prefer deciduous trees such as oak, locusts, walnut, and cherry. Besides looking like twigs, walkingsticks also sway when moving to mimic the motion of branches moving in a breeze. Humans only notice walkingsticks on the rare occasion when the insects venture onto buildings on sidewalks.

The fridged temperatures in Missouri means walkingsticks can’t survive the winter. The species has come up with a creative way to ensure a new generation of walkingsticks survives to the next spring. In late Summer and Fall, male and female walkingsticks mate. Females then drop eggs, one by one, from the treetops down into leaf litter below. The eggs overwinter and hatch in the Spring. The young walkingsticks immediately climb into the trees above them. The insects will molt several times before becoming mature adults.

Walkingsticks play a very important role in the environment. By eating leaves, the insects serve as a natural form of pruning for trees. They are also food for many predators, including birds.

If you are new to the channel, Brody is fascinated by bugs and animals. At first, he would watch wildlife documentaries and YouTube videos. Then he started going outside and exploring to see what he could find. It didn't take long before he started finding some interesting creatures in his own backyard. He loved sharing his discoveries with his brother, sister, and friends so much that he started this channel. This way he can show them videos and not just describe the bug or animal.

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